Reading Between the Lines
by romancerevival
Summary: After falling off the wagon and attacking a human, will Stefan ever return to normal? Elena is hurt and reeling after a turn for the worse, and finds herself turning to the other Salvatore brother for comfort. Delena
1. Chapter 1

Reading Between the Lines

This takes place at the end of Miss Mystic Falls, but I've branched it off into my own storyline. All events that take place after Episode 1x19 will not be brought into play, except for possibly a few details here and there, i.e. the story about Stefan and Damon turning in Blood Brothers.

Ch. 1 Out of Control

Elena slammed into the wall of the sturdy old boarding house, trying to shrink back into the wood as Stefan closed in on her, trapping her with his arms and pounding the wall with his fists. Elena felt the entire structure tremble beneath her and her eyes grew wide with fear as she peered into Stefan's crazed, bloodthirsty ones; they had darkened and grown bloodshot and the veins surrounding his eyelids grew pronounced. Elena knew all too well what that meant, and her heart dropped down into her stomach as she realized Stefan was being consumed by the human blood he was full of and craved at the same time. A tear coursed down her cheek as she painfully thought of how she had initiated his fall from grace herself; she had no one else to blame for her thoughtless attempt to heal her boyfriend. This time she had done more harm than good, and she was powerless to stop the snowballing consequences.

Fear returned to the forefront of her emotions as Stefan let out a raucous snarl. Elena gasped and attempted once more to soothe him by talking him out of his fury.

"Stefan. Stefan…STEFAN. Look at me, right here. This monster, this isn't you! I know you Stefan, I trust you! You won't hurt me, I know you won't. You have to keep fighting; I know you can do it! Fight this through. Please! For me, Stefan."

Elena pleaded with him as she searched his eyes, looking for the faintest trace of the compassionate vampire she thought she knew. All she found there was a ravaged, black turmoil of hunger and rage. The instant he returned her gaze, something in him snapped. His arm pulled back and released like a tightly coiled spring, slamming her shoulder into the wall. All of the air whooshed out of Elena as she felt a stabbing pain travel through her shoulder blade. She felt her elbow and wrist crack against the unforgiving wood as Stefan pinned it down, holding her in a steel grip as he reached up to her neck and forcefully yanked her vervain necklace from her throat and hurled it across the room. Elena struggled against him, trying to break free from his impossible hold on her. She raised her free hand and tried to push against his chest, but he caught it in midair and curled his fingers tightly around it until he heard several cracking noises. She cried out involuntarily at the pain and he slapped her across the jaw so fast she never saw a fist fly. Elena whimpered as she felt searing pain spread from her earlobe to her chin. As if the sound fed his internal fire, he shoved his knuckles into the soft spot just below her ribs. She gasped and doubled over, sliding to the floor. Stefan stood back, the monster in him coldly observing his handiwork. _After all, something as superior as a vampire shouldn't have to take so much flack from a weak human nuisance_, he mused. Feeling empowered, he strode over to the window and in one quick, lithe motion, he disappeared into the night.

After a moment of shocked silence, the floodgates opened. Elena sobbed uncontrollably; wiping away her tears caused too much pain. After what seemed like hours, she regained a little control of herself and began to assess the damages: four of the fingers on her left hand were broken, her back, right wrist, right elbow and stomach were all throbbing in pain. She realized with dread that there was going to be severe bruising when she woke up in the morning, if she was actually capable of falling asleep. She gingerly stroked her jaw line, flinching when her fingers traced over a swollen lump a few inches from her chin. Clearing her head, she realized that she had no idea where Damon was. There was no way she was letting him see her like this. Even after all that he'd done, she couldn't bring herself to rat out Stefan and have Damon go after him. She couldn't risk Stefan being killed, or Damon either, for that matter. After dancing with him earlier, she internally shuddered at the thought of his striking blue eyes never putting her own deep brown ones under that intense gaze again.

Hoping to avoid Damon, Elena quietly limped down the stairs. She stepped out into the den and sighed with relief; Damon was nowhere in sight. She carefully made her way to the car and sank down into the driver's seat. Only when she reached for her keys did she realize that with four broken fingers and a battered wrist, there was no way she could grasp the wheel and drive without killing herself or someone else. Letting out a shaky sigh, she got back out of her car and trudged back into the boarding house. Weighing her options, she decided that taking a shower was the best method of staying out of Damon's sight. _He may be obnoxious and have no respect for personal space_, she thought, _but he was enough of a gentleman to give her some privacy in cases like these._ Painstakingly, Elena crept back up the staircase and quickly retrieved a towel from the linen closet and a t-shirt and pair of boxers from Stefan's drawer. Shuffling into the spacious bathroom, she turned the water in the shower to steaming hot and removed her clothes as quickly as her injuries would allow. She sighed with relief as the water surrounded her when she stepped under the welcoming spray.

Washing herself proved to be a challenge; her broken hand hung limply at her side while she shampooed her hair with her slightly less damaged right hand. She winced when she knocked her bruised elbow against the tile wall in the process. While rinsing her hair, she tried to think of an explanation for her current state for Damon, if she happened to run in to him. She knew it would have to be a good one, for she had learned from experience that it's hard to avoid someone while staying in their own house, especially if that someone were a vampire. Since it seemed the most plausible explanation, she chose to go with the story that she had slipped while getting out of the shower. Convinced she was believable, Elena turned the lever with her good hand, shutting off the water. As she put on Stefan's clothes, a wave of sorrow washed over, hitting her like a tsunami. _How could it have come to this? _She thought_. How could someone who said he loved me, who would do anything to protect me, be the one who hurt me the most? _She felt tears pooling in her eyes, and she did nothing to stop them from spilling over and forming trails down her cheeks. After a few minutes, she realized she had a splitting headache and went back downstairs to steal some of Damon's scotch, hoping it would help her to fall sleep quickly. She needed to escape from this nightmarish reality as soon as possible. With her good hand, she grabbed the bottle and poured the drink into a crystal tumbler. She scrunched her eyes shut, preparing herself for the burning sensation she was about to feel when she downed the scotch.

"You know, you really shouldn't drink alone, Elena. It's not healthy."

Startled beyond reason, Elena sucked in her breath and the tumbler slipped from her fingers, shattering with a tinkling crash the second it hit the floor. Her heart beating wildly in her chest, Elena slowly turned around to meet the intense, faintly amused, and other-worldly blue-eyed gaze of Damon Salvatore.

Sorry if Stefan seems too OOC. In this story, when he ran away after being discovered with Amber, I have him robbing the blood bank again and binging on human blood. My apologies to all you Stefan devotees out there. Damon is my favorite, so you can count on this story being major Delena. Let me know what you think/what you do or don't want to happen. I'm open to anything. If I get a good response, I'll try to update faster! First Ever FanFic. Feedback is Love! Delena forever


	2. Chapter 2

** First off, thank you SO much for all the encouraging comments! This being my first ever post, I never expected so many people to subscribe to my story. That being said, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.**

Chapter 2: Shattered Glass

"Damon!" Elena finally choked out, after what seemed like an infinite moment of silence. She quickly hid her left arm behind her back, hoping to conceal her achingly distorted hand. "Can't you just not sneak up on me like that for once in your life?"

"Now where would the fun in that be?" Damon smirked, his eyes flashing as he lifted an eyebrow at her. "Besides, I'm technically not 'alive', as you very well know."

Elena sighed and rolled her eyes, starting to take a step past him when-

"Don't move." Damon had noticed that Elena was standing barefoot surrounded by a smattering of crystal shards; Elena looked down around her feet, realizing she had entirely forgotten about her slip up even though it had happened just a few moments earlier. He quickly closed the distance between them, the bits of crystal crunching under his black boots. He glanced briefly at her before wrapping his arm around her back and placing the other behind her knees, scooping her up with just as much ease as when he had carried her away from her wrecked vehicle that night so many months ago. The harmless gesture had Elena's shoulder blades screaming in protest; she bit down on her bottom lip to stop any noise from escaping her.

Damon crossed the room and gently laid Elena down on the couch near the fireplace. Seeing that she had relaxed and was reclining against the pillow, he dragged an overstuffed chair near her and sank down into it. Elena placed her left hand in her lap, painfully covering it with her right in hope that Damon wouldn't notice. She was grateful that the bruises on her arm hadn't started showing through yet. She looked slightly away from him, trying to shield her swollen jaw from his view. She couldn't appear weak and vulnerable, not in front him.

"So, might I ask what has driven you into such a state that you tried to take my favorite scotch? I'm very disappointed in you." Damon clicked his tongue. "Contrary to popular belief, all you had to do is ask me. I enjoy playing drinking games with you." He winked, hoping to soften her stony expression.

Elena let out a whoosh of pent up air. "I was just trying to get my headache to go away." She spoke to the wall, still not meeting his gaze; she was afraid of what she would find there. A deafening silence followed the brief exchange. She could feel his eyes on her; his concerned, unrelenting gaze was eating away at her bones. Unable to stand it any longer, she turned toward him, forgetting her bruised jaw, and met his impossibly blue eyes with her own. Damon opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to abandon the words, his dark eyebrows drawing together questioningly. He shifted closer to the edge of his chair, leaning forward as his eyes searched her face.

"What happened here?" he asked in a curious, yet gentle voice as he brushed his finger down her jaw line with a feather-light touch. She flinched, and he pulled away carefully, not wanting to hurt her.

"It's not a big deal," she replied, her voice a little unsteady. "I just slipped in the shower and hit my jaw on the lever, that's all."

Damon eyed her with suspicion, his gaze boring into Elena's soft eyes. He could almost feel waves of melancholy washing down her. Wanting to do something, anything to ease her pain, he slid his hand under her right one, lacing his fingers with her left hand against his better judgment. Elena let out a cry of pain, her whole body jerking the moment he applied pressure to her broken fingers. Eyes widening in alarm, he quickly withdrew his hand, inwardly cringing in distress as she whimpered uncontrollably. He caught her moistened eyes with his, and held them there as he gently slid his hand under her palm and lifted it toward him with the gentlest of pressure. Upon closer examination, he noticed that four of her fingers were swollen purple and bent at odd angles. Swallowing hard, his eyes drifted to her knuckles, where bruises were forming in the shape of human fingertips. Realization dawned on him; his eyes hardened with fury as he thought of his brother, but quickly worked to soften them as he looked back to the broken girl sitting inches from him.

"Elena, where's Stefan?" Even though he tried his best to use a soothing tone, Elena couldn't help but notice the edge in his voice show through as he said he brother's name.

"He…h-he went out." Her voice faltered as the tears welling in her eyes ran over. She let out an involuntary sob that racked her body as the events earlier in the evening came rushing to the forefront of her mind, forcing her to relive the horror behind her eyes.

"Elena," Damon implored, trying to keep his voice calm, "I need for you to tell me if he…if you're hurt anywhere else. You can trust me. "

Sucking in a shaky breath, she informed him of her other injuries, downplaying it in hope of keeping him in the dark about how pain she was really in. Damon fought to keep his raw anger at bay, knowing his murderous thoughts would do nothing to help Elena feel any better. Her comfort was most important to him; it was all he wanted. Knowing what he had to do, he gingerly scooped her up once more and carried her to his bedroom. Before, he had dreamed of this moment, hoping for it under completely different circumstances. Now all he could think about was taking away her pain.

Without thinking, Elena tucked her face into the base of Damon's neck, finding comfort in its warmth. The rise and fall of his chest was almost like a lullaby to her; she nuzzled further into his neck and almost swore she felt his head lean into her, cradling his chin protectively over her face. She was too exhausted to know if it was real or not, and too exhausted to find the will to care.

Damon gently settled Elena into his bed. She faintly noticed that his pillow smelled just like him, and she turned he face into it, breathing in the dizzying scent. Her clouded mind registered that Damon had left the room, only to see him walk back through the door seconds later with some ice for her jaw. He walked around to the other side of the bed, trying not to jostle her as he climbed up next to her and spread out on his side, facing her. He met her drowsy eyes with his own brilliant blue ones, and she thought she noticed a hint of sadness in his usually unreadable expression as he lightly pressed the ice to her jaw line. It stung a little, and tears spring to her eyes against her will for the umpteenth time that night. Overcome with emotion, Damon leaned over her and softly kissed her cheek, letting the tears run over his lips as they brushed against her hot skin. She shuddered as his mouth lingered on her, feeling his hot breath caress her face. She closed her eyes as he pulled away, resting his head on his propped up arm only a few inches away from her. Opening them, she looked trustingly into his beautiful eyes as he steeled himself for her reaction to what he was about to do.

"Do you trust me?" he asked quietly. Watching her slowly nod her head against the ice he held to her, he inwardly sighed with sweet relief as he continued. "There's only one way for me to makes this better without you having to explain what happened to the others." His eyebrows furrowed as he looked deep into her eyes. "If you drink from my wrist, the healing process will go much faster and take away the pain. You don't have to sleep in such discomfort tonight, if you'll take my blood." He studied her face for any signs of fear or resistance, but all he saw there was blatant trust and acceptance. Before she could change her mind, he bit into his wrist and held it to her slightly parted lips. As the sweet, hot liquid slid down her throat, she already felt the pain receding all over her body. Relishing the relief, she pressed her lips into the soft skin at his wrist, welcoming the blood. Damon watched her intently, shocked that she had so blindly trusted him with such an intimate act. After a few minutes of the exchange, he lightly tugged his wrist away from her and ran his thumb across her lower lip, wiping away his blood. He tenderly reached for her hand, making sure that her fingers had been restored to their rightful, beautifully slender shape. Satisfied, he grasped her fingers between his, rubbing her palm with his thumb. He looked up to see how she responded to him, only to see that she had fallen asleep, her jaw slack against the ice. Her total innocence and beauty made his insides ache with longing. He refrained from getting any closer, not wanting to wake her from her peaceful sleep. He curled slightly, facing her as his head hit the pillow, just inches from hers. He watched her breathe for what seemed like forever until he finally fell asleep, gently clutching her hand in his.

**Sorry this isn't longer! Let me know if you think Damon got too mushy. I promise the plot will develop more in the next chapter, for those of you who are feeling bored. Feedback is Love! Delena forever.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey you guys, sorry it's been so long since my last update. I've been really busy lately with father's day and company and whatnot. So here goes nothing. Bear with me, I'm literally about to fall over in my chair from exhaustion here. and hope you like it!**

**Chapter 3: Ain't No Rest for the Wicked**

_Stefan, his eyes frighteningly dark, descended upon Elena. She felt stabbing pain as her back hit the wall, and she shrunk into herself, choked with fear as he snapped his head down to her neck, sinking his razor-like fangs into her sensitive skin as she let out a blood-curdling cry…_

Elena bolted upright, her heart throbbing and her entire body sticky with sweat, as she jerked out of her terrifyingly real nightmare. The sharp movement caused her neck to crack, and she moaned as her breath caught in her throat. She flitted her eyes around the room, trying to adjust through the dull haze clouding her sleepy eyes. Blinking rapidly, she looked down at her recently mended but slightly stiff left hand, and slowly flexed her fingers into a fist. Even though it was healed for the most part, her hand still tingled with an indescribable sensation; it was almost as if her hand felt…empty. It was unsettling; it reminded her of the feeling of her running her tongue over her gums when she was a child, expecting to feel a tooth there the split second before she realized it had fallen out. She ran her hand along the length of her thigh, hoping to rid herself of the inexplicable feeling. Too afraid of what she would see if she fell back asleep, Elena slowly stepped down from the large four poster bed and stiffly made her way out into the hallway. Hearing a faint clattering noise from below, Elena quietly descended down the stairs, curiosity stirring faintly in her tired mind.

Squinting her eyes at the light, she softly shuffled into the entryway of the kitchen. To her immense surprise and confusion, she found Damon there, dressed in his usual all black and swiftly cracking eggs into a frying pan.

"Morning, sweet cheeks." Damon mockingly greeted the groggy girl standing in front of him, flashing a lopsided smirk at her. He worked to conceal his relief that she was alright; he had sensed her heartbeat increasing steadily over the past quarter hour and was about to go check on her when he heard her wake a few minutes earlier. He quickly glanced over her to check for signs of bruising, and finding none, he sighed inwardly with satisfaction.

"Unghh, don't call me that," she replied grumpily, her slow voice thick with sleep.

Whatever you say, sleepyhead," he shot back, raising one eyebrow as he mixed the eggs with a fork.

"Why are you cooking…food?" Elena asked, cocking her head to one side as she ran a hand through her hair.

Giving her an intense look for a split second, he replied, "You need to get your energy back up. You had a…rough night." He looked away, focusing on his cooking.

Elena furrowed her brow, sifting through the chaos of her memories of last night. Fighting to think past her vivid nightmares, the last thing she could remember of her consciousness was staring into a pair of ice-blue eyes as she inexplicably, voraciously sucked down the blood of the vampire standing not five feet from her. Instinctively, her hand drifted up to her jaw, and she ran her fingertips down it tentatively, only to feel a perfectly smooth, uninterrupted line. She was dragged from her thoughts as a plate full of eggs, toast, and strawberries suddenly appeared in front of her without warning. Robotically taking hold of the plate with both hands, she looked up to see Damon standing a foot away from her. He placed a hand against her shoulder, firmly commanding "Eat."

Elena slowly made her way over to the kitchen counter, setting her plate down and looking around for a fork. As if he could hear her thoughts, he silently held a fork out in her direction. She took it and started in on her eggs, not realizing how hungry she was until she tasted the first bite. She then proceeded to swiftly tear into her meal, her fork continuously traveling back and forth between her lips and her plate. Damon smirked to himself as he noted her ferocious appetite. He walked past her, stopping only to steal a strawberry from her plate, and popping it into his mouth, he turned to walk out of the room. Elena twisted around to watch him go, feeling a twinge of disappointment; she didn't want to eat alone. Just before he glided out of sight she called out, "Damon?"

He turned, his eyebrow raised and trademark smirk absent.

"Thank you."

After eating everything on her plate (she hated to admit it, but Damon was a really good cook), Elena washed and dried her dish and put it back in the cabinet. Elena looked up at the clock over the stove: 5:52 A.M. She groaned, cursing the nightmares that had woken her up at such an ungodly hour. She traipsed into the den, sinking down onto the couch where Damon was sitting. He picked up her feet, placing them in his lap, and rested a handed over her crossed ankles. Noticing he was holding a half empty glass of scotch, she sighed.

"Really, Damon? Don't you think it's just a little early to be drinking?" Elena said pointedly, crossing her arms.

"It's never too early to drink." He drawled, tossing back the rest of his drink with one swallow. They sat for a moment in silence, their minds simultaneously drifting to the same place, both unconscious of each other.

"Damon?" she asked suddenly, unable to leave the subject unaddressed any longer. "How much longer is Stefan going to be like this? Is he ever going to get back to normal? Because it's…it's scaring me." She finished shakily.

There was a long pause before he answered, "Honestly, Elena? I don't know. He's never fallen this far off the wagon before. Don't get me wrong, if he had been drinking human blood all along, I would have rejoiced. But now that he's been pulled back to it so suddenly, he can't control himself, and I don't particularly enjoy having to clean up after him." He suddenly realized what he had implied, and quickly tried to make amends, adding "Like last night. I barely even had time to make up a cover story before Sheriff Forbes showed up."

"It's just that last night, I looked into his eyes…and I didn't see Stefan in there at all. All I saw was…a monster." She shuddered, remembering the cold, calculating look he had given her just before he had leaped out the window. "Is it possible…is there anything we can do to fix this?"

Damon lowered his elbow onto the arm rest, tipping the edge of his empty glass against his forehead as he contemplated their options. Staking his saint of a brother would get them nowhere, and Elena would never forgive him. No, that was out of the question. There was always drugging him with vervain and locking him up until he was clean. Yes, Damon liked the sound of that. It would likely break Stefan quickly and easily, while also keeping him from chewing on the townspeople. There was also the added personal benefit of payback. Damon smirked deviously, and he turned to Elena, his eyes flashing. "Oh there's something we can do. We just have to catch him first. And you, my dear Elena, are going to be the bait." Her eyes widened. He quickly gave her a summary of the plan to drug Stefan and shut him away until the human blood was out of his system. She shrank back in fear when she learned that she was to be the one to lure him in and stab him with a vervain dart, but reluctantly agreed, realizing it my be the only way to save her boyfriend and her town.

"I'll be right outside the door," Damon reassured her. "If he tries anything, I'll put a stop to it. I promise. "He looked deeply in her eyes, showing her that he meant it. Seeing that she trusted him, he nodded and lightly slapped her ankles, saying "Now go get dressed. We need to pay a visit to the teacher and see about getting those darts."

Elena lifted her feet out from under Damon's hand, slowly getting up and making a trip back upstairs. She dressed quickly into the clothes she had been wearing the night before. She wasn't particularly comfortable, but it would have to do for now. She ran her fingers through her slightly disheveled tresses, trying to smooth out some of the unruly knots. Leaning down to splash water over her face, she stood back up straight and jumped about a mile when she realized Damon was standing only a few inches behind her. Her heart pounding, she turned around, careful to avoid brushing her chest against his.

"You know, there's this thing called personal space. Ever heard of it?" she snapped, not in the mood for his tricks this early in the morning.

"Why yes, I have actually. I just choose to completely disregard it." He waggled his eyebrows at her in a playful manner.

"What do you want, Damon?"

He instantly turned serious, reaching into his pocket for her necklace that he had retrieved while she was dressing. He had noticed it was gone from her delicate neck when she walked downstairs earlier, and had gone to Stefan's abandoned room in search of it. He knew she thought of it as a sort of security blanket, and he wanted her to feel as safe when she was with him. He looked down at her as he lifted his arms around her neck, hooking the clasp and letting it settle gently against the soft skin of her collarbone as he carefully tugged her long hair back over the chain. She returned his gaze, and a look of understanding passed between them briefly before Damon turned and motioned for her to follow him back downstairs.

"Come on. I told the teacher we'd meet him at the school in an hour to fill him in on the situation. He's bringing his little vampire hunting kit with him so we can get some of those darts. You ready?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "The teacher? He has a name you know, Damon. It's not like he's just a pawn in the game thrown around for your convenience. He's here to help us. "

"Sheesh, Don't get your panties in a twist. He tried to kill me; I killed him, and then he sprung back to life on my living room floor. Excuse me for not exactly being on first-name terms with him yet."

Elena gave him an exasperated look and pushed past him, heading out into the driveway. It had started to rain, and she dashed across the way while covering her head with her arms and threw open the passenger side door of Damon's old blue Chevy. She clambered into the seat and slammed the door, looking over to see Damon already buckled in and starting up the engine.

"Easy on the door! This car is a whole lot older than you are, Elena. Show some respect."

Sighing and rolling her eyes, Elena crossed her arms and leaned her head against the window. The cold glass felt good against her hot skin and she relaxed as she watched the raindrops pool together and run in trails down the window. As he pulled away from the house, Damon looked over at her from the corners of his eyes. He sorrowfully realized that he hadn't seen her smile since they had danced together the day before. The corner of his mouth turned upward into a faint smile; he was happy that he was able to bring her some relief from her tumultuous life, even if it had only been just a dance. He sped up a little and hoped, for her sake, that this plan worked with as little pain and struggling involved as possible. A girl as good as Elena didn't deserve to be put through this, and he silently cursed Stefan for being so noble. If he had maintained a healthy diet of blood from a blood bank all along, Damon wouldn't have had to hurry to pick up the pieces while he watched the girl he was falling in love with slowly start to break.

**Hey you guys. I hope that ending didn't get too mushy for you. It's really hard to write Damon when he's falling in love with Elena, but doesn't want anyone to know about it yet. Please leave a review! They encourage me to keep going with the story. And yes, I know, the locking Stefan up to get the blood out of his system part is from the show, but I didn't say I was going to make the outcome the same too. After all, who wants Stefan and Elena back together anyways? More Delena goodness to come, I didn't want to overkill on it too soon. It just wouldn't be natural for Elena to fall for Damon that fast. I included more dialogue than previously, hope I did alright. Snarky Damon is also quite hard to capture. I love you all, and don't forget…FEEDBACK IS LOVE. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello Again! I must say every time I get a story alert or a review, it sort of makes my day! I've never really put any of my writing out there for the public to see, and I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for you and all of your responses! Here's to hoping I don't let you down. Oh and since I've forgotten to do this on all of the other chapters, I do not own any part of the Vampire Diaries whatsoever. Damon Salvatore just stole my heart. ****So, without further ado, here's the next chapter!**

**Chapter 4: Fallen**

"Elena? Come on, Elena. Wakey wakey. We're here." Elena had dozed off against the window of the car; the soothing sound of the rain had lulled her into a light sleep. She opened her eyes as Damon gently shook her shoulder. Looking around, she realized that there were most definitely not at the school. She gave Damon a questioning look and, as if he could read her mind, "He called me on the way down here with a change of plans. Apparently, he wants us to have our little pow wow here at his house instead of at the school; he wanted us to make it quick." She nodded and reached up to take Damon's hand as he hoisted her out of the car. He pointedly shut the door with care and turned on his heel to lead Elena towards Alaric's house. Under the shelter of the porch, he sharply knocked three times and shoved his hands into his front pockets, listening for footsteps on the other side of the door. After waiting for a minute or two, he walked around to peek into the garage; there was no car in it. Damon cursed under his breath and walked back to Elena's side, who was waiting for him with anxiety written plainly on her face.

"He's not home."

"Well isn't that just perfect. We have to get those darts! Can't you just…I don't know, climb through a window or something?"

"Well, you see, Elena, I haven't exactly been invited in yet. After all I did kill him a while back. Here, I'll just break down the door, and you go and get them. How's that sound?"

She sighed. "No, Damon, we're not just going to wreck his house like that. He is my history teacher, and he's gotten my brother back on track at school, and helped us rescue Stefan…no. I won't let you do that to him. Let's just try for an open window or something." She pushed past him and walked around the porch to the side of the house, stopping to push up on the bottom of the first window she came to. It resisted a little at first, but after a few tries she managed to yank it up a few inches. Damon saw what she was doing and rolled his eyes, crossing over to her in a few long strides.

"Here." With one hand, he effortlessly slid the window all the way up on the first try. Elena shook her head, no longer surprised by Damon's displays of super-human strength. "Impressive, aren't I?" Damon said cockily, tilting his head to the side and smirking. "Now go in, grab what we came for, and get out. I don't want Ric trying to stake me again if he catches us breaking and entering." Elena nodded and lifted her foot up on the windowsill. As she pushed herself up, she wobbled and grabbed wildly for the edge of the window, pressing her hand against it for support. Damon grabbed her other hand and held it firmly, supporting her as she fought to keep her balance while bringing her other foot up to the windowsill. Crouching in the open window, she lifted her head to survey her surroundings and knocked the back of her head into the bottom frame surrounding the plates of glass. She gasped and nearly fell backwards, but felt Damon's sturdy hand grip her waist and steady her. With his support she finally stepped onto the hardwood floor on the other side of the window. She released his hand to rub the lump on the back of her head, groaning. She turned to look back out and saw concern flashing through his eyes; his lips were turned down at the corners and he asked "Are you doing ok in there? How hard did you hit your head?"

"Its fine, Damon. I'm fine. It was just a little bump, that's all. Seriously, it's nothing."

Relief briefly crossed his features as he nodded. He looked up back up at her, faintly amused. "Clumsy little thing, aren't you? That would've taken me about two seconds. Then again, you are only human; and a rather uncoordinated one at that." She shot him a sour look, clearly not amused, before disappearing into the darkened house. It was not sixty seconds before she returned, two vervain-filled tranquilizers in hand. "They were sitting right there in plain sight on his kitchen table," she explained before handing one of the darts to Damon. She looked down at the windowsill and reached back to touch her throbbing head, wincing. "I think I'll just use the front door this time," she said wearily, and Damon let out a quick laugh.

"Good idea," he returned, and watched her walk away before easing the window back down with his fingertips.

"Damon? Have you seen my phone? I can't find it. You didn't take it again, did you?" Elena called out from the boarding house's kitchen, looking over the countertops in hope that she had just forgotten it there during breakfast.

"Relax, I didn't touch your precious phone! It's right here on the couch. And it won't stop beeping – it's starting to get on my oh-so-fragile vampire nerves, FYI. You might want to come stop that before I have to go hunting for a snack to calm me down." Damon shot her a devious grin before downing a glass of his ever-present scotch. Elena rolled her eyes and marched over to the couch, snatching up her phone before giving Damon a poisonous look; He shrugged and walked over to the fireplace, turning his back to her as she checked her phone. She held her breath as she saw the missed call screen flash up, part of her hoping it was Stefan calling to apologize, part of her fearing it was Stefan. She wasn't sure how much more she could take of his out-of-control, erratic behavior. She just wanted things to go back to normal. She sighed when she saw it was only Jeremy, calling to ask where she was. She quickly dialed his number, pressing the phone to her ear and pacing back and forth between Damon and the couch. He didn't pick up; she left him a hurried message, running her fingers through her hair as she explained that she was staying over at Stefan's for a few days. Snapping her phone shut, she walked across the carpet and stood next to Damon.

"So, how exactly are you planning on getting Stefan to come back?" She leaned into him, lightly knocking his shoulder against his. "When he left, he didn't exactly give the impression he planned on returning." Elena shivered despite the crackling fire, remembering the cold, black look Stefan had given her in the last few seconds when she had seen him.

"Oh, it won't take much. I'll just call him and threaten him to drink his entire stash of blood bank contraband in the cooler down there by myself. He's too bloodthirsty right now to let his hard work go to waste on me. Come to think of it, I believe I'll do that right now. No point in putting it off, is there? Can't have him gnawing on many other people in this town. We don't want to raise a fuss, now do we?" Elena raised her eyebrows, thinking of how that was exactly what Damon had wanted to do when he first showed up in Mystic Falls. She peeked at him out of the corners of her eyes, wondering exactly what had caused him to stop thinking that way. After all, what was this little town to him? She was drawn out of her musings by the sound of Damon's voice lazily drawling "Hello, Stefan." He paused, waiting for a reply. "What do I want? Nothing, nothing at all, brother. I was just letting you know that since you obviously don't want it, I hope you don't mind if I finish off the blood bank cooler for you." He paused again, smirking to himself. "Fine, fine, I won't touch it! Cool your guns, man! I guess you better come get it then. Sure, sure, whatever you say. It'll all be there when you show up. Mhm? You have a good day now." Damon pressed the END button on his phone, returning it to his back pocket. Elena looked up at him expectantly.

"What did he say? Is he coming? Did he still seem…off? Did he mention me? Where is he?" Elena bombarded him with her questions, unable to hold back the worry on her face.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there! All he said was he'll be by in half an hour to get his stuff. He didn't mention anything else. When a vampire's bloodlust is as strong as his, they have a hard time focusing on anything else. He's probably got his humanity shut out right now. Locking him up is the only way to fix that, and that's what we're about to do. Don't worry; this thing just takes time. I promise he'll eventually be back to normal."

Elena turned back towards the fire. She tangled her fingers in her hair and slouched. "This is all my fault. I should never have fed him my blood, I should have tried something else-"

"Elena! Elena, look at me." Damon held her shoulders tightly, lowering his head down so that they were at the same eye level and his blazing blue eyes met her sorrowful gaze. "There is nothing else you could've done. You were brave, what you did! You saved his life. He's going to be fine he just has to get over this little…bump in the road. I promise you, if you hadn't fed him your blood, he would be in much worse shape right now than he currently is. Stop blaming yourself."

She tore her gaze away from his, shaking her head as she walked over to the couch and dropped onto it. She was slightly dumbfounded; it was a rare occurrence to see Damon so serious, and she thought is was slightly disconcerting. It wasn't that she didn't like it, she was usually taken by surprise when he demonstrated that maybe he did have somewhat of a heart. Last night was rather foggy to her, but Elena was sure she remembered Damon acting very tenderly towards her as he mended her wounds. She found herself drawn to this softer side of Damon, and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She looked up to see him solemnly hold out a vervain dart to her.

"You need to go down to the basement where he keeps the cooler. Stay out of sight at first; he doesn't need to think we're cornering him. When you start talking to him, be sure to hide the dart. When you're sure he's calm, stab him with it. I'll take care of the rest. If he tries to hurt you, or even looks like he might, just scream and I'll stab him myself. I'll be right outside the door the whole time."

She drew a deep, shaky breath, nodding. "Thank you, Damon. For helping me with this. I couldn't have done it alone."

"No need to thank me. I couldn't have him going around exposing us. Someone had to stop him."

Her mouth set in a grim line, Elena gave Damon one last look and turned to go, walking down the stairs with dart in hand. In that look, Damon once again saw that look of complete trust, one he couldn't quite understand. It made his insides clench, suddenly filled with dread for what was to come. Something inside of him burned with protectiveness for her; he wasn't going to let anything else hurt her now for the world. He couldn't let it. Seeing such innocence in the face of such a beauty he had always loved made him wonder how he ever could've loved Katherine, when her polar opposite was now right there with him. Such perfect and entire goodness he knew he didn't deserve, but he suddenly realized he loved her all the same, if not more, than he had used to love the woman who was so similar but couldn't be more different. No, Elena wasn't Katherine; she never would be. She didn't have it in her. And he loved her for it irrevocably. Resolutely, Damon clutched his fist tighter around the dart, vowing to do whatever he had to in order to make this wrong a right.

Elena heard heavy, fast-falling foot steps descend the stairs above her head. A second later she saw the back of her wayward boyfriend, muscles tensed and ready to pounce at anything that got in his way. She struggled not to gasp as he ripped open the cooler and snatched a blood bag, ripping the plastic with his teeth and quickly draining it with one gulp. He repeated the process with two more and then began shoving the rest of the supply into a backpack that he had brought with him. Elena shifted, accidentally grazing the back of her hand against a rusty nail, and winced. Ignoring it, she slowly and deliberately stepped out from her hiding place, holding her arms out toward Stefan and bracing herself inwardly as he turned to look at her.

"Elena," he muttered, his voice slightly ragged. "If you had a single ounce of common sense, you wouldn't have come down here."

"Stefan, I…I just wanted to see you. I know this has been rough, but…Stefan? What's the matter?"

Stefan's black eyes were riveted to her hand, which was suddenly feeling strangely moist. Elena looked down and momentarily froze with panic; the rusty nail had drawn blood.

"Stefan, Stefan, look at me. Snap out of it. You can do it, I know you can. Stefan, stop!" Stefan slowly advanced toward Elena, the veins around his eyes growing more and more pronounced. His breathing grew shallow, and he seemed to be drawn to her hand. Elena shoved it in her front pocket, desperately trying to keep him from coming any closer. She reached out, pushing her hand to his chest. The second her skin touched his, he could feel her blood pulsating frantically just below the surface of her flesh. Without warning, he lunged at her, clutching at her shoulders with force as he lowered his fangs to her neck. She let out a piercing scream that hung in the air, and just as she felt his pointed teeth graze her neck, he hesitated, wobbled, and fell backward. Trembling violently, she looked up to see Damon, his stance wide, his eyes hard and blazing from just shoving a needle full of vervain between his brother's shoulder blades. His eyebrows drew together as he turned his chin slightly to the side, his expression soft as he said "I promised you I'd be right there if he tried anything."

She quickly crossed over to him and threw her arms around his neck, sobbing into his chest as the initial shock of the past minute began to wear off. She hung on to him tightly as her limbs shook and wobbled. He wrapped his arm around her back to hold her up and lifted his other hand to lightly run it down the length of her hair, trying to soothe her as he whispered "Shh, shh, it's alright," into her ear. They stood like that for an indefinite amount of time, neither of them finding the will to move. Once her sobs had subsided into sniffles, he forced himself to pull away. He grabbed her wrists as he stepped back, catching her gaze and holding it.

"He won't be awake for a while, so you go back upstairs and take a break. I'll take care of it, ok?" She nodded, her eyes full of gratitude, an unspoken thanks for all that he'd done. Before he could think about what he was doing, Damon rested his hand on the curve of her waist and leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek. His warm lips brushed lightly against her smooth, tear soaked skin, and his mouth lingered against her as he leaned his forehead into her temple. Her ragged breathing hitched in her throat, and he squeezed her waist gently with his hand before slowly stepping back. Her sweet eyes rested on his face for a fleeting moment before she turned, their depths conveying that she cared. She wearily plodded up the narrow staircase, her heart beating sluggishly in her chest as she shut the door behind her.

Damon, anxious to go back up and check on Elena, grabbed his fallen brother by the ankles and dragged him into the cellar, laying him next to a wall before dropping his legs and leaving the room. With one final somber glance, Damon locked the door to the cellar and shoved the key into his front pocket. He used his vampire speed to ascend the stairs in less than a second, but slowly opened the door. He quietly stepped through the doorframe, looking into the den for Elena. He saw her sitting on the edge of the couch, her shoulders drooped and her eyes focusing on nothing. He walked over to her and sank down next to her on the couch, so close that their arms rubbed against each other with the slightest movement. She didn't pull away. They sat there in silence, neither of them feeling the need to fill it with words that had already been spoken. She leaned back further into the couch, her eyes drooping and eventually fluttering shut. She unconsciously turned her head to the left, and her body slumped toward Damon, her head falling to rest in that soft spot between his shoulder and his collarbone. He reached his arm around her, holding her into him as she slept. For the second time in twenty-four hours, Damon found himself holding his brother's girlfriend as she fell asleep. He inwardly cursed his brother for bringing all this upon her, but part of him was thankful for what had happened as she pressed herself closer to him, letting out a sigh against his chest in her worn out, dreamless sleep.

**Ok you guys, sorry if Damon seemed a tad OOC just now, but I had to write it that way to make it work. I know I said after Miss Mystic Falls I would change it up, but I had to keep some things the same to let the story unfold how I imagined. So keep in mind, just because they locked Stefan up doesn't mean it's going to go back to like how it was before. I promise you this IS a Delena fic, I just don't want to take it way too fast. I need to give Elena a big reason to turn away from Stefan, even when he's sober. So thanks for reading and I hope you keep coming back! Please please leave a review to let me know your opinions. Reviews really do want me to keep writing even faster; they let me know that I'm writing for others and not just myself. Say anything you like about my writing style, is it too long, too short, too OOC, too emotional? Also let me know what you want to happen further on in the story. Predictions are welcome, Feedback is love! Delena forever.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey. I can't believe I'm on Chapter 5 already. Trying to write Damon in character is exhausting, so I really hope I get him at least somewhat right. How are you all coping with the break until season 2? I know it's killing me! I've been watching reruns every Thursday night (Oh, the Evil Damon. I hate when they lock him up! It made him cranky. Not wise) and I've been going back through my DVR every day to watch parts of the latest episodes to get my Daily Dose of Damon. Ridiculous, isn't it? Oh well, it can't be helped. No use in trying to find a cure. September just seems so far away! Okay enough of my delirious rambling; off we go! Hope you like it!**

**Chapter 5: Beautiful Distraction **

"You mind telling me where we're going?" Elena snapped, scowling as Damon led her by the wrist out the front door of the boarding house and over to his car.

"The merry old land of Oz, if you must know!" he replied in an exasperated tone. "Because I'm just in the mood for making a couple of munchkins into a mid-afternoon snack. Seriously, Elena? We're just going over to your house to get you some fresh clothes and pack you a suitcase. Considering that you plan on staying here during your boyfriend's…convalescence, I would imagine that you don't want to wear that same outfit for the next several days."

"Ok, fine. You're right. I don't," she grudgingly conceded. "But will Stefan be ok if we just leave him here? What if he wakes up and he's hungry or something, we can't just leave him hanging! I -"

Damon let out a weary sigh. "He won't be up anytime in the next twelve hours, Elena. There's no way he'll realize we're even gone. Don't worry your pretty little head about it. He'll be fine. Now get in the car. The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be back. Okay?" He squeezed her wrist lightly before releasing it and walking around the front of the car to the driver's side. His words reassured her and she sank down into the old blue car, carefully closing the door so that she could avoid another overprotective lecture about the antique from Damon. _Men and their cars, _she mused, shaking her head to herself.

The two of them crept quietly upstairs, not wanting to submit to questioning about the past few days from Jenna. Trying to explain what was going on would only end in a garbled mess, and Elena was aware that her aunt wasn't particularly fond of Damon. She closed the door to her room behind them and turned to see Damon reclining against her headboard, fiddling with the teddy bear he seemed to always end up with every time he came to her room. She realized the irony of the situation and almost laughed; a dark, mysterious, and incredibly powerful vampire was sitting on her bed playing with a worn little teddy bear leftover from her childhood. He noticed a small smile tugging at one corner of her mouth and couldn't help smiling faintly himself; he hated to see her turning into the brooding, pensive, gloom-and-doom soul that was so similar to Stefan. It was really starting to take its toll on her, and he couldn't stand for her being so glum all the time.

Elena crouched below him at the side of the bed and pulled out a navy blue suitcase. She unzipped it and made several trips back and forth between it and her closet, dumping the first things she saw haphazardly into the suitcase. She blushed as she reached into her drawer to grab a handful of bras and underwear, avoiding Damon's eyes as she quickly deposited them into her bag and zipped it shut. She could feel his gaze on her, and she knew he was smirking, relishing her embarrassment. She hurried into the bathroom and grabbed her makeup bag, a toothbrush, a comb and a few other necessities and tucked them into a travel case. She reappeared in her doorway and tilted her head back over her shoulder, motioning for Damon to follow her back out to the car. She reached for the suitcase handle, but he beat her to it and lifted it easily off the bed, ushering her out the door.

After successfully exiting the house unnoticed, they dumped her bags in the trunk of the car and piled in. Elena noticed that the sun had finally come back out and just as Damon turned the key in the ignition, she blurted out the idea that had just crossed through her mind.

"Damon, can we put the top down? I could really use some fresh air, if it's okay with you." She glanced up at him hopefully, and he knew he couldn't refuse.

"Your wish, my command." He pressed a small red button on his left hand side and the black soft top slowly began to fold back on itself, settling in behind the passenger seat of the car.

The car was suddenly bathed in warm golden sunshine; Elena's worried mood vanished almost immediately. She leaned back in her seat and grinned, stretching like a cat. "Thanks," she turned to him and whispered, unable to wipe away the sloppy grin spreading across her face.

Unable to keep from returning the smile, he met her eyes and assured her "Anytime." He reached his arm around her and rested it on her relaxed shoulders, driving with one hand draped lazily over the wheel. Elena couldn't help but notice that when the sunlight hit Damon's eyes, they became an achingly beautiful iridescent shade of glassy blue. They were, she had to admit, _breathtaking. _It was moments like these, when her hair fluttered in the wind as she leaned back to soak up the sun while Damon laughed at her, that she was sure there was some part of Damon that was truly good. He wasn't the monster he pretended to be and that everyone thought he was; he was just a man who got his heart broken and didn't want to get hurt again. He covered it up by a wicked and reckless lifestyle, one that she knew he didn't really believe in deep down. Now, when his barriers were down, he was just what she needed to get away from the out-of-control whirlwind that was her life at the moment. He helped her to really live for the first time in she didn't know how long; he had a certain knack for taking her mind off of things. Elena smiled as she watched the world blur past, feeling Damon's eyes on her. All thoughts of Stefan evaporated from her mind momentarily, and she realized she could get used to this.

"Damon?"

"Mhm?" he raised his eyebrows expectantly, his eyes once again catching perfectly in the light as a half-smile graced his lips.

"You're not the worst company in the world, you know."

As Elena stepped over the threshold into the boarding house, her mind clouded over with concern once again. Dropping her bag right inside the door, she quickly made her way straight down to the cellar and half-ran to peek through the bars on the door to see if Stefan was up. Her heart sank a little when she realized he was still out cold. If Damon was right, he still had around eight hours to go. Vowing to stay up long enough to catch him awake, she mumbled a soft "See you in a little while, Stefan," and turned to go, dragging her feet slowly up the narrow staircase. She pushed the door open and took a step forward, but was suddenly inches away from a tall black figure. She cleared her throat, trying to cover up how startled she was, and tilted her head up.

"Damon, aren't you getting tired of always doing that? It doesn't bother me anymore, so there's really no use."

He rolled his eyes, not believing her one bit. "Oh, come on, Elena. You know you like it. Most women find me hard to resist from this standpoint." His lips curled upward maliciously, his eyes wickedly flashing at her.

Elena snorted, slapping Damon on the shoulder. "Well don't count on it. Most women don't have a boyfriend like Stefan to go home to. I'm lucky." She turned her back to him and went to retrieve her bag, knowing he was just trying to get a reaction out of her. Damon's jaw clenched for the tiniest second, but he quickly relaxed it.

"Ah, yes, the magnificent Saint Stefan. Nothing like a loving boyfriend who comes home to mangle you and have you for dinner every night. Can't beat that!" Damon knew he was being a little insensitive, but he was sick and tired of being compared to his brother. His _younger _brother, for Christ's sake! _Because Stefan is just undead proof that a healthy diet of squirrels and bunnies is the key to a happy existence_, Damon thought sarcastically. He made his way over to the bottle of scotch, snatching it up in one hand and taking a swig.

Elena balled her fists in frustration and stomped over to stand directly in front of Damon. "You're such a hypocrite! What you just described is exactly what you did to Caroline back when school started! To make it worse, you were completely in control of yourself when you did it, too!"

Damon took another swig and swallowed, holding up a finger. "See there, my dear Elena, is where you've got it wrong. I said _loving _boyfriend. When was I ever one of those?" _When I was with Katherine, _he thought. _And we all know how THAT ended. Wretched creature couldn't be bothered to return the sentiment._

"Well at least Stefan _has _a heart, even if it doesn't beat!" Elena spat back at him, her eyes burning with anger.

Damon took a step back, slightly stunned. His eyes conveyed deep hurt briefly before he transformed his face into a cool, detached mask. Those words cut him like a knife; and she knew it. Elena's lower lip quivered; she didn't mean those words at all, she had just wanted to get back at him for his saying the ugly truth about Stefan out loud. He had put into words what she didn't want to admit to herself. Lashing out at him was completely unintended, and she was riddled with guilt. Damon had taken such good care of her when Stefan was flying off the handle, and he had let his guard down, trusting her. With penitent eyes, she quietly walked over to him and plied the scotch bottle from his hands, setting it down on the coffee table behind her. She stood so that she was inches from him and stared into his icy eyes, watching them soften under her gaze.

"I'm sorry," she said earnestly, and something in her voice told him she really meant it. "I didn't mean what I said at all. I'm just so tired and anxious I don't think about a word that comes out of my mouth. I have no right to be mean…and you, the past few days, you've been, you know…really helpful, and…" she trailed off, her rambling coming to a standstill and she saw such complete vulnerability in his eyes. She suddenly wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him, turning her head to the side as she rested it just under his chin. She clung to him for what seemed like the longest time before looking back up at him beseechingly, hoping he forgave her. He nodded, silently communicating to her that it was alright. She rested her head back under his neck and he curled his arms around her back, gently rubbing it before reluctantly breaking the embrace, a glint returning to his eyes.

"After all, I have been called worse," he claimed, shrugging. "Some crazy chick seemed to think I was a…what was it? A 'self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities'? She must have been off her rocker." He smirked.

Elena couldn't help cracking a smile, playfully shoving his shoulder and rolling her eyes.

"Hey, you must be getting hungry. How about I call in some Chinese takeout? My treat." He winked and waggled his eyebrows wickedly.

She opened her mouth to protest, but her stomach suddenly let out a very long, deafening growl. Damon raised his eyebrows at her mockingly, and she blushed six shades of pink, sheepishly changing her answer to "Sounds good to me."

**Ok so this is pretty much just a filler chapter, but I needed a chance to develop the relationship between Damon and Elena. Yes, I know, Elena is still being loyal to Stefan (ughh), but have no fear, she has feelings for Damon that she doesn't even know about yet. I hope I didn't bore you! Next chapter the story will definitely start rolling more, because I have to wake up Stefan (what joy is mine). So, as you can hopefully tell, this chapter was just for lighting the Delena fuse. Please please share your thoughts and REVIEW! I read every single comment and it's often the highlight of my day. Let me know what you would like to happen. Sorry this wasn't longer **** Thanks for staying with me and I love you guys! Feedback is love **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello Fellow TVD fans! I'm so sorry it took me a so long to update, but I have had almost literally no time to sit down and write. I planned on updating Wednesday night, but I fell asleep in the middle of writing. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. I have to finally wake up the broody one (what a thrill). The next few chapters are when the Delena should really kick in. Sorry it's taking me so long to get there, but if I make it go too fast, it seems forced and I lose the essence of the characters. I want to make this seem legit. By the way, thank you SO much for the encouraging reviews! They make me smile all day like a fool. Disclaimer: I do not own any part of The Vampire Diaries. I'm just unhealthily obsessed with it. **

**Chapter 6: Both Alike in Destiny**

After several vain attempts to use them correctly, Elena finally tossed one of her chopsticks aside in frustration and vehemently stabbed a piece of her sesame chicken with the other, then popped it into her mouth. Damon let out a snort of derision, the pointed his own chopsticks at her, saying, "You know, in China if you do that, it's a sign of savageness and disrespect?"

Elena narrowed her eyes, shooting him a ridiculously fake smile. "Well we're not exactly in China, now are we? Get over it." She reached for a white plastic fork and twirled some noodles around it, scooping them into her mouth.

"Wow, Elena. You eat like a man." Elena glared at him, picking up her discarded chopstick and hurling it at him. He easily dodged it, and it landed with a clatter on the hardwood floor five feet away.

"Easy!" Damon admonished playfully. "I meant that as a sincere compliment. I like women with an…appetite." He grinned wickedly.

_An appetite for what, exactly, is the question, _she thought to herself, shaking her head. She finished her meal in a few bites and threw away the paper cartons. She turned to see Damon leaning against the countertop, nonchalantly sipping from his champagne flute full of blood. He noticed her watching him and smirked, his eyes gleaming.

"What, does this bother you?" he inquired, slowly swishing the blood around in the glass.

"Strangely…no. Not really. At least, not anymore." She replied, shocked at how desensitized she'd become.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Works for me." He secretly rejoiced that she wasn't repulsed by him. "So…we've got about 6 hours until our broody little vampire downstairs wakes up. What do you want to do? Ooh. We could play strip poker! Or find out how many shots you can hold. Or both, as long as the drinking comes before the…poker…no?" He trailed off under her disdainful stare. "Suit yourself." He shrugged and started to walk out of the room. Elena realized that she was bored, and she certainly didn't want to spend six more hours alone. _Here goes nothing. _

"Damon!" He halted on the stairs, looking over his shoulder at her expectantly. "You're right. Six hours is a long time to do nothing. How about…" she paused, trying to come up with something appropriate to do. "How about you give me a tour of this place? I've never actually seen most of it." She looked up at him with soft pleading eyes, and he knew he couldn't say no; he wasn't even sure he wanted to. In spite of himself, he let out a loud sigh and walked back down the stairs.

"Fine, fine. If you insist." He bowed sarcastically, a lopsided grin gracing his features. He stretched out his hand to her, and she hesitantly put her left hand in his. A jolt traveled through her entire being; that feeling, the emptiness that she had been trying to shake from her hand all day, had suddenly evaporated. It was as if there was never any empty feeling in the first place. Elena was unnerved by this sudden revelation, and unconsciously squeezed his hand tighter in hers. Damon's heart lurched forward alarmingly at her intimate gesture, yet managed to keep his face straight and calmly continued to lead her up the stairs. Elena feared what she had just felt, and wasn't sure that it was smart to keep holding on, but some invisible force from within her screamed at every nerve ending in her body, begging her not to let go. And honestly, she wasn't sure she really wanted to. When she was with Damon, a sudden calm and ease always seemed to wash up around her. Comforted by his presence and touch, she gave his hand another warm squeeze, this time voluntarily, and followed him closely up the dark staircase.

"And this," Damon announced with a sweep of his arm, "used to be the ballroom." He had shown Elena nearly every room in the house, most of which were guest rooms. They all gave the impression that they had not been occupied for decades; there were layers of dust on all of the furniture and cobwebs graced the corners of the ceilings. Even so, Elena could tell that they had once been beautiful quarters. The chairs and dressers were all lush and ornate, yet cozy and inviting at the same time, despite the signs of age. The wallpapers were silky and featured lavish designs of fleurs-de-lis and pinstripes. Now, as she entered the supposed ballroom, she couldn't help but gasp. The walls were lined with ceiling-to-floor mirrors, all gilded with slightly dulled gold. From the high ceilings hung three crystal chandeliers, all glistening with the light from the candle in Elena's hand despite their cobwebs. The dark wood on the floor was faded and scuffed near the center of the room, where Elena imagined that countless couples had once lined up to dance so many years ago. _Dance…_the thought reminded her of the dance that she and Damon had shared only yesterday; it felt like ages ago. She sighed, wishing that everything that had happened in the past 24 hours would just go away. She walked to the center of the room, slowly turning in a circle to take it all in.

"And that concludes our tour for today. Thank you for joining us, and have a lovely evening." Damon smirked with the last few words and clasped his hands behind his back.

"Hey! I think you forgot a room." Elena informed him, clearly miffed at his blatant exclusion of the room she was must curious about.

"And which one would that be?"

"Yours. Aren't you going to show it to me?" She raised her eyebrows questioningly and folded her arms across her chest. She expected him to make a crude remark about why she wanted to go to his room alone with him, but none came.

"Nope." He replied simply, looking away from her and letting her know that the subject was closed to any further discussion.

"Whatever," she shot back carelessly, trying to hide her disappointment. A sudden icy breeze swept through the door and into the room, sending shivers up Elena's spine and extinguishing her candle. "Damon?" she called out, her voice echoing faintly against the cavernous ceiling. She felt a hand wrap around her arm just above her elbow.

"I'm right here." She leaned toward the voice, stopping when she felt her back touch his side. Her shoulders shook slightly as she tilted her face up, trying to adjust her eyes to the sudden darkness. "Interesting little human, you are. Afraid of the dark, so you come running to a vampire. How ironic."

Elena just shook her head. "Can't you just take me downstairs? I want to see if Stefan's up yet." She could almost hear his eyes roll.

"Fine. Don't let go of my hand unless you want to knock yourself out or fall to an untimely death. That could get messy." She suddenly felt his large, strong hand fold itself around hers and gently tug her forward. She took a step, holding her other arm out to keep from hitting the wall. He led her down what she imagined was the hall, and the entire house was silent except for their breathing and slow footsteps. A dim glowing light finally came into view, and Elena could make out her surroundings once again and she descended the stairs closely behind Damon. When they reached the bottom, Elena suddenly became aware that she was still clutching on to Damon, even though she was out of the dark. He looked down at their clasped hands, his face slightly amused. She slowly pulled her hand from his, letting her fingertips drag against his palm as she reluctantly broke the contact, knowing that unnerving emptiness would return the second she let go. Damon's eyes widened slightly at the move, feeling her hesitation. He flexed his hand at his side as she turned away from him, his skin tingling with heat.

"Well I guess I'll head downstairs now," she said softly, half-hoping he would follow her as she opened the door to the basement. Afraid of his brother lashing out against her again, he unknowingly granted her wish. They both made their way to the cellar, her footsteps slightly faster than his. She turned the corner and looked through the bars on the door. She saw him; he was sitting back against the wall, his elbow propped one raised knee, his head bowed.

"Stefan," she called out to him, hoping he would look at her. He didn't raise his head at the sound of her voice. Before Damon could stop her, she opened the heavy door and strode into the cell, crouching in front of him.

"Stefan, you're awake! Are you feeling alright? You should really drink something, you look exhausted. Why don't you-"

"You need to leave." He uttered in a low, rough voice, not lifting his head.

"Stefan, what's the matter?" Elena's eyebrows drew together as she frowned. She put a hand on his knee, leaning closer in an attempt to see his face.

"I want to be alone."

"But I haven't spoken to you in days! I want to know if you're gonna be ok. Should-"

"I don't want you here, Elena." He interrupted forcefully. "Can't you just go? I never realized you were so pushy. That's just one more way you're different than her. I thought you could replace her; I realize now just how I wrong I was. You could never be her."

Elena felt a lump rising fast in her throat, and she blinked several times, trying to comprehend what he was saying. Her system felt like it had shut down; she felt paralyzed as she commanded her limbs to run, yet couldn't move an inch. The dark room she was in started to blur, spinning slightly as his last words echoed in her head: _You could never be her._ It faintly registered in the back of her mind that there was a hand on her shoulder, pulling her away from the cellar and back out the door. Another hand lightly pushed on the small of her back, guiding her gently up the dark, swimming stairwell. She couldn't focus her eyes or mind on anything; her head felt foggy and there was a faint ringing noise in her ears. As soon as the hands released her, she all but collapsed onto the carpet near the fireplace. Her legs sprawled out in front of her, bent at uncomfortable angles and her arms hung limply at her side. She didn't even sense Damon leave the room and go back downstairs.

After what seemed like hours, Elena was finally pulled out of her trance-like state by the sound of a slamming door. She heard heavy footsteps fall across the foyer to the front door, followed closely by another pair of footsteps, and the second pair crossed over to her, standing over her protectively. She looked over to the front door to see Stefan, poised to leave.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" She heard Damon's biting voice from above her.

"To finish what you started. What I should've done all along. I'm going to find her. I have to." Elena looked up to see a yellowed photo in Stefan's hand. It was the picture of _her. _She felt fresh tears pool over and silently trek down her cheeks. She sucked in a ragged breath, trying to get her vision to clear.

"And what about her? Do you see what you've done to her? She's gone to all this trouble to get you back to normal, and you're just gonna walk? Leave _her_ for some heartless look-a-like bitch?" Damon all but shouted, an undercurrent of fury in his voice. Stefan said nothing, avoiding Elena's gaze.

"Go to hell." Damon's voice was hard with ice and poison. With one final bitter glance, Stefan opened the door and walked out into the night, never looking back.

** I apologize again for the long wait! I hope this chapter sits well with you; it's really setting the stage for DELENA. Just imagine what's gonna happen next. The two of them, alone…both gotten their hearts broken. Stefan is no longer of any interest. Someone needs comforting. Let me know with a comment if there's anything you want me to throw in next chapter! I'm excited about writing it. Please please comment and let me know what you think! It means A LOT to me. Hope I didn't let you down! Promise I'll update faster this time. Feedback is love! And Delena for the win. **


	7. Chapter 7

** Thank you guys SO much for bearing with me through the Stefan phase! At long last, he's finally left Elena and Damon alone. Now we advance into Delena. Oh and to clear things up about last chapter, yes I know Elena wanted to see Damon's room on the tour and he wouldn't show it to her, even though she's already seen it if you go back to chapters 2 and 3. The thing is, she was so distraught and disoriented at the time that she doesn't remember it at all now. Just explaining the seemingly careless "slip up" there. Sorry, but don't expect any make out scenes just yet. I still don't want to rush it because that would seem phony and there wouldn't be a good enough foundation for the relationship. So we're just gonna take it sweet and slow. I'm praying right now that I don't get way too OOC because keeping them in character is really important to me. Believe it or not, it's actually sort of hard to get Elena's voice right as well. She's not always as predictable as we think, and she usually doesn't really even get mushy much. So here we go! Disclaimer: I don't own any of TVD. I just like getting inside the character's heads and manipulating them into what I wish would really happen. **

**Chapter 7: Repercussions **

Previously:

"_Where the hell do you think you're going?" She heard Damon's biting voice from above her. _

_ "To finish what you started. What I should've done all along. I'm going to find her. I have to." Elena looked up to see a yellowed photo in Stefan's hand. It was the picture of her. She felt fresh tears pool over and silently trek down her cheeks. She sucked in a ragged breath, trying to get her vision to clear. _

_ "And what about her? Do you see what you've done to her? She's gone to all this trouble to get you back to normal, and you're just gonna walk? Leave her for some heartless look-a-like bitch?" Damon all but shouted, an undercurrent of fury in his voice. Stefan said nothing, avoiding Elena's gaze. _

_ "Go to hell." Damon's voice was hard with ice and poison. With one final bitter glance, Stefan opened the door and walked out into the night, never looking back. _

…

Elena somehow made her way to her feet as the door slammed, dramatized by a clap of thunder and the rushing sound of a downpour coming from outside. Weak-kneed, she robotically went to the front door and opened it. Seeing the bolt of lightning streak across the sky made something in her snap; she took off and sprinted out into the yard, her eyes darting around for any sign of Stefan. Her heart was pounding so furiously she could hear her pulse throbbing in her ears, and the torrential downpour was soaking her to the skin. Seeing nothing, realization sank in; he left her. He wasn't coming back for her; he left her for _Katherine. _She sank down against a tree trunk and started sobbing uncontrollably. All the stress, lies, and pain she had to suffer through for him…culminated in _this. _She bowed her head in defeat, not noticing the raging storm swirling around her. With a sudden squelching sound, a pair of black boots came in to view before her. Elena couldn't look up; she couldn't meet his gaze under such shame. After a few seconds, the boots squeaked again and he was suddenly crouching before her, his eyes level with hers. He rested his hands on her knees and leaned in, his otherworldly blue eyes entirely devoid of mocking, amusement, or triumph. All she found there was sorrow and concern and something else she couldn't put a finger on at the moment.

"Elena, you really need to come back inside. There's no use in sitting out here." His thumbs lightly rubbed back and forth over her kneecaps, comforting her. Elena focused on his touch, and slowly felt the tears subside. She noticed that he was getting soaked too, and realized that when his hair was darkened by the rain, it made his eyes look even bluer, somehow. She couldn't rip her eyes away from them.

He drummed his fingers against her knees as he spoke again. "Please come back in. I won't have you getting struck by lightning." He pointed to the sky, and sure enough, another slash of lightning lit up the black sky, as if nature was in his command. Wiping her eyes, she nodded and stood up, slipping a little in the mud. Damon followed closely behind her to the front door, and they both slipped off their shoes and Elena wrung out her hair before walking in. Quietly closing the door behind them, he noted that she was shivering violently and hunching her shoulders, hugging her arms to her chest. He reached up and started to peel away her soaked leather jacket, and she didn't resist. He put hers and his own on hooks by the door, and turned to put his hands on her waist and guide her close to the fire.

"D-D-Damon, I'm fine," she chattered, her voice shaking with cold as she glanced at him over her shoulder.

"Clearly," he shot back in a sardonic tone. He rubbed his hands up and down her upper arms, trying to draw warmth back to her shoulders. Sighing, she turned to face him, taking in his dripping wet form. Unable to hold back her shredded feelings anymore, she stepped in and wrapped her arms around his midsection, pressing the side of her head into his drenched chest. Taken aback but not unwelcoming the gesture, he wrapped his arms around her back, holding her as he rested his chin atop her head. He felt her heart beating against his own ribcage, and he was filled with tenderness and an overwhelming desire to protect the fragile human life that was so near to him now.

Elena closed her eyes and turned her head slightly into him, breathing in the warm scent that radiated from his chest. It filled her mind, leaving it soothed and warm, chasing away the heartbroken thoughts pounding through her head. She thought she felt his lips brush against her hairline, but her mind was too clouded to be sure of anything. At last, she pulled away from him, but stayed close enough to keep her arms around him. She tilted her head up to look him in the eyes, and saw that the walls he usually kept built up in a mask were completely crumbled, and in their oceanic depths she found nothing but earnest concern and vulnerability. She felt her heart skip a beat then follow up with a painful thud; she blushed, knowing he heard that.

"I think I'm gonna just go take hot shower to try and warm back up, 'kay?"

He studied her for a moment, trying to assure himself that she was going to be alright, and then nodded, giving her back a final brief rub. She released him entirely from the embrace, turning and slowly plodding up the stairs to the bathroom. She made a detour and steeled herself before walking into Stefan's bedroom to grab a tank top and some lounge pants out of her suitcase, trying to avoid looking around the room. She couldn't handle any of those memories flooding back just yet. She zipped up her suitcase and dragged it outside, wheeling it to a stop right outside the bathroom door, unsure of what room to put it in.

Once in the bathroom, she shut the door behind her, not bothering to lock it. She knew Damon wouldn't be so uncouth, at least not anymore. Elena stripped out of her freezing, heavy wet clothes and jumped into the steaming shower, her body releasing an involuntary shudder at the shock of the warm water. She welcomed the heat, slowly washing her hair with her head leaned back and eyes closed at the sweet relief. After about twenty minutes she finally turned the water off, stepping out of the shower and quickly grabbing for a fleecy towel. She towel-dried and combed her thick brown locks, letting them twist into their natural messy waves. After slipping on her clothes and brushing her teeth, she padded barefoot down the staircase and into the kitchen to get a glass of water. She opened the cabinet, and to her surprise, she found a box of instant hot chocolate nestled in the corner near the glasses. She reached for a packet and emptied it into a mug of hot water. Wrapping her hands around it for warmth, she sipped from the mug contentedly and walked into the den, looking for Damon. She saw him sitting on the couch, dressed in fresh dry clothes and staring into the fire, no drink in hand for once. She stepped across the carpet, almost reaching him when-

"Ouch!" Damon turned around to see her wobbling, trying to balance on one foot as she clutched at the other.

"What's the matter?" he inquired, getting up and standing next to her, trying to see what was causing her pain. She put one hand on his shoulder to steady herself, her face pinched in discomfort.

"I think I got a piece of glass in my foot or something," she replied, gasping.

"Oops, I must've missed a shard. Go sit down, I'll be right back." He took her hot chocolate mug from her and set it down on the coffee table, then disappeared up the stairs with his vampire-speed. She hobbled over to the couch, plopping down on the middle cushion. She grabbed her ankle and hoisted it up, resting it on her knee in an attempt to see what was digging into her foot. Not finding anything, she looked back up, startled to see Damon sitting on her right, grinning and brandishing a pair of tweezers. She almost laughed at him, as he tried to look dangerous and maniacal with a beauty tool in hand.

"Here we go. Now hold still and this won't hurt a bit." He pulled her ankle onto his lap, grabbing her foot around the instep. She twitched violently and jerked her foot back, snickering. He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Let me guess: you're ticklish," he said in a half-amused, half-exasperated tone. She blushed, biting her lip as she nodded.

"Well doesn't that just make this sooo much easier," he drawled, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "Now hold still this time, unless you want glass embedded in your foot for the rest of your life." She braced herself, willing herself not to move as he took a firm hold on her foot again. She jerked slightly, but otherwise remained calm as he carefully drew the tweezers near her foot. They surged forward in a quick motion and moved back before she knew what happened. He held up the tweezers to her, revealing a miniscule, rainbow-colored crystal.

"Wow," she said, impressed. "I didn't feel a thing."

"Mhm. I'm just that good." He nodded cockily, getting up to dispose of the glass shard. Elena flexed her toes and smiled. When she was around Damon, it was like all the memories of Stefan were completely erased. His demeanor brought out the more relaxed, carefree side of her, and it was a nice world to escape into. She reached for her hot chocolate, bringing her knees up to her chest to conserve body heat. When he returned, he was carrying a maroon fleece blanket, which he draped over her shoulders carefully before sinking down next to her on the couch. He rested his arm across the back of the couch behind her head, and she leaned against it after setting he mug back on the coffee table. Feeling how comfortable she was with him at the moment, he took the opportunity to speak.

"I apologize on behalf of my brother. That human blood, it really messed him up; I thought forcing him to quit cold turkey would fix it, but it seems it just brought out who he really is. First-class jerk. I don't even understand why he's doing it, going after Katherine after all these years…she obviously has better things to do than return the favor. But no, for some inexplicable reason, he's decided to go back to the Ice Queen, when he obviously doesn't see what he had right in front of him. It's his loss really…because you…I mean you, you're…worth it…" He trailed off, slightly embarrassed at his rambling and suddenly at a loss for words. _God, he was losing his edge_. Elena's mouth fell open slightly, astonished at what she was witnessing. Damon; speaking like he actually was human, like he actually had a heart…it was stirring. Moved, she reached out and cradled the side of his face that she couldn't see with her palm.

"Damon," she whispered, wanting him to look at her. After a long pause, he looked at her out of the corners of his eyes, not sure what he would find there. "Thank you." It was an all-encompassing expression of gratitude, thanking him for understanding, for healing her wounds, for looking after her and taking her mind off of things, for simply _being _there. And he knew it. She rubbed her thumb across his smooth cheek, and he turned his face into her hand, closing his eyes as he brushing his lips lightly against her palm, slowly kissing it. She was slightly surprised by the intimate act, but couldn't bring herself to pull her hand away. She felt a soft warm feeling consume her on the inside, and her lips parted slightly, a shallow breath escaping them. He drew her hand away from his face, intertwining her fingers with his own strong, pale ones.

Looking into his beautiful blue eyes, she suddenly felt lonely and exhausted. He was her comfort, he was her rock, and she leaned against his chest, stretching out on the couch, still wrapped in the blanket. She felt him stretch out under her, bringing his arm around to drape loosely around her middle. She rolled over and turned into him, closing her eyes and burying her face into his chest. His other arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her softly against him. He felt her breathing and heart rate slow, and he knew she was asleep. He laid his head back, tucking his neck over the top of her head. If he still had a heart, he knew it would be exploding right now. Feeling Elena, so warm and sweet, nestled into him at her own free will, reawakened sensations in him he believed he would never feel again. She was so good, so fragile; he knew he would do anything for her, to a further extent than even Katherine. Here, holding this _girl, _Katherine became nothing but a nasty memory. He would trade a thousand memories of her for just one second with Elena. Engulfed by the power of this revelation, Damon slowly drifted to sleep, the sweet smell of the girl in his arms more soothing than the most peaceful lullaby. And that is what finally settled among the two, for the first time in months or centuries: peace.

**Hm…that ending got a little mushy didn't it? I guess that's what I get for writing so late at night.** **Oh well, I love Damon with his barriers down. I hope this wasn't too dull. Ok so please R&R! I would really love it if you would take the time to leave a review. It means a lot to me; my writing feeds off of feedback. So please remember: Feedback is Love. Thank you again so much for those of you who have been commenting, it's really great of you. Even getting story alerts and favorites messages in my inbox brightens my day. I love all of you! Love, Vampires, and Delena. Forever. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone! Sorry it took me so long to post but I'm suffering from a nasty case of writer's block. That, and I've been reading so many Delena FanFics all the plots are swirling around in my head so furiously I can't remember what and what hasn't already been written. It's pretty crazy. I'll try to get a few chapters up this week because next week I'll be in D.C. with no access to a computer from Tuesday to the following Monday. Thank you so much for the reviews, alerts, and favorites! They seriously motivate me more than anything else to keep writing. More bickering and action seems to be in order, so I'll try my best. Here we go!**

**Chapter 8: Recovery**

_Elena was running through the boarding house, slamming into walls and tripping over rugs, unable to see through the thick blackness. Cold wind whipped around her, pushing her down the hall with invisible fingers. She heard a low, strangled cry ahead of her, and recognizing the voice, she ran harder, her heart frantically slamming against her ribcage. She turned into the room that the voice came from, coming to an abrupt halt as she was greeted at the door by a floating candle; not just any candle, the one that the wind had snuffed out when she was up here earlier. The faint light reflected eerily off of the mirrors surrounding the abandoned ballroom, but was stopped short by the dense fog not five feet away from Elena. The fog was not penetrated by the light even slightly, yet Elena ran into it, blindly stumbling around in search of him. She heard another sound, this time a guttural groan; it was much nearer this time. She stumbled forward another step, and through the fog not a foot away she saw his astounding blue eyes, darkened by pain. She reached out to him, feeling her fingertips graze his shoulder, but was suddenly yanked back by the ankles. She yelled out, calling to him and pleading against whatever was in the fog. She heard another strangled cry and simultaneously felt stabbing pain in her neck. Her screams intertwined with his, and she clenched her teeth together, trying to fight the pain-_

"Ouch! What on earth was that for?" Elena blinked, suddenly woken by the voice of an incredulous Damon. She realized that she actually HAD clenched her teeth, and was biting down through the soft black fabric covering Damon's shoulder. Extremely embarrassed, she blushed and pulled back, her lips unintentionally grazing his shoulder with the movement.

"Geez, Elena! And to think you complain about me biting people when it's uncalled for. Never thought you'd be a pot, calling the kettle black!" He sighed, not moving from beside her.

"Sorry," she offered, her voice still husky with sleep. "Bad dream." She glanced down and realized her hands were splayed against his chest, unconsciously touching him to reassure herself that it was only a dream. She balled her hands into fists, drawing them back, but not able to pull away any further, as Damon still had one arm protectively wrapped around her waist.

"Obviously." Damon rolled his eyes. "Did you know you talk in your sleep?" he asked with disdain.

"Do not!" she shot back, secretly fearing what she might or might not have let slip.

"Do too," he replied smugly, with impish smile.

"Ugh, fine. Then what did I say?"

She saw the smile slide off his face, quickly being replaced by a frown and furrowed brows. He glanced at her fleetingly before murmuring "You sounded quite disturbed, actually. Kept begging with someone, 'don't hurt him, please stop, you're hurting him!' or something of the sort. Then you oh -so-considerately shrieked, nearly shattering my precious little super-sensitive vampire eardrums. You wrapped it up with a bang by biting me. Thanks again for that," he said sarcastically, rubbing his shoulder in mock pain. "What on God's green earth is so important that it made you yell in your sleep, anyways?"

_You, _she thought. _You're the only one I have left. _Not wanting to admit that, she fumbled for words before finally just spitting out "I can't remember," and rolled over, avoiding his eyes. She felt his scrutinizing gaze on her back like lasers. Suddenly, he shifted, and she caught her breath in surprise when his fingers drummed lightly against her stomach.

"You're probably wanting some breakfast right about now." He stopped drumming his fingers and just lightly rubbed them against her stomach. She writhed and slapped his hand away as a shiver ran down her spine. "Oh. Right. Ticklish. I forgot. Hm, that could come in handy." He chuckled devilishly. Elena shook her head and pushed herself off the couch, stretching. She turned her back to him and walked into the kitchen, not wanting him to see her face. It suddenly occurred to her that the shiver down her back was not caused merely by her ticklishness. His warm hands touching such a sensitive part of her body had brought forward an entirely different sensation, one she didn't feel like dealing with at the moment.

Damon suddenly appeared before her in the kitchen, reaching into the cabinet and pulling out a box of cereal. "Will this work for now?" he asked, shrugging. She nodded, and watched him pour a hearty amount into a bowl and topping it off with milk before handing it to her along with a spoon. She ate slowly, noticing that he had poured himself a glass as well and was reaching into a drawer for something. His arm surfaced with a pack of Oreo cookies. Elena raised her eyebrows, tilting her head to the side.

"Really, Damon?"

"What? A vampire can't enjoy a wholesome and delicious meal of Oreos for breakfast? What is the world coming to?" He dunked a cookie into the milk and popped it into his mouth, glaring defiantly.

Elena, suddenly craving chocolate, smiled to herself. "Not unless said vampire shares." She walked to his side and he dunked another cookie, holding it out to her near her mouth. She snatched it delicately between her teeth and pushed it back into her mouth, not thinking twice about it. They stood side by side, chewing in comfortable silence. He shot a discreet sideways glance at her, noticing that she looked beautiful even in the morning, with her hair all wavy and disheveled. They finished off their breakfast in silence; Elena put her dishes in the sink and walked up to the bathroom to get dressed.

Damon dressed quickly and vampire-sped down the hall. The bathroom door was ajar, and he ambled in slowly, trying not to scare Elena. He glanced around, realizing she wasn't there, and zeroed in on her heartbeat with his sensitive hearing. Grimacing, he followed the sound to Stefan's room. He found her standing next to his dresser, clutching a photo of her and Stefan tightly in her small hands. With a sudden burst of anger, she ripped the picture directly down the middle, dividing her and Stefan permanently. She walked over to the window, about to toss the halves out into the breeze, but a hand suddenly grabbed the half with her in it, stopping it from fluttering out the window.

"I like this half. It's a good picture." Elena turned and looked over her shoulder at Damon, swallowing hard when she saw the look on his face. His perfect features were blazing, an undercurrent of anger and sorrow peeking through his clear blue eyes. His jaw was tense in an effort not to betray himself. He gently tugged the photograph from her fingers and set it back on the dresser. Remembering herself, Elena crumpled up the Stefan half and chucked it through the window, huffing out a frustrated breath.

"Litterbug," Damon remarked snidely, squinting his eyes at her playfully. She half smiled, appreciating that Damon was trying to lighten her mood. Her face quickly fell again as she touched her collarbone, realizing something with a sickening feeling.

"This necklace, it was Katherine's, wasn't it?" She took his silence as a confirmation. "Then I can't wear this anymore." She unclasped the necklace and dropped it on the dresser.

"Ah, ah, ah, you can't do that!" Damon admonished. "Vervain? It's the only thing protecting you from compulsion."

"It doesn't matter. I don't want to even look at that thing right now. Besides, I'll be safe. I have you." Her last statement surprised even herself, but upon reflection, Elena realized it couldn't be truer. She felt that Damon would turn the world upside down to get to her if she needed him. They had this…connection, one not easily broken. _Funny, a few months ago I thought Damon was the very one I needed protection from_, she thought wryly to herself.

Damon watched her closely as she thought to herself, knowing she was right. He felt an innate need to protect her, her wouldn't let harm touch her with a ten foot pole. Losing her would devastate him more than anything else in the world. He just hoped that he would never have the need to step in on her behalf, even though he knew it was likely that he would; this little town was crawling with vampires, witches, and God knows what else. He nodded, not wanting to force her to wear a reminder of his brother and the vampire he had left her for.

…

It was five in the afternoon, and they were both getting a little stir-crazy.

"Hey, Damon? Can we go to the grill tonight? Just to maybe take my mind off of things?"

"You had me at hey Damon. Sure, a drink has been calling my name all day. Meet you at the car in five." He disappeared, and Elena went up to the bathroom to freshen up. Five minutes later they were in the car and speeding down the road.

As soon as they walked in the door to the grill, Damon grabbed Elena by the elbow and led her to the bar. He ordered some vodka and offered to buy Elena something, but she refused. "Suit yourself," he shrugged. Damon had barely swallowed his first glass when Caroline moseyed over to them, eyeing Damon hatefully then turning to Elena.

"Where's Stefan?" she asked pointedly, simpering. "He's seemed a little off lately, what with skipping school, and then ditching you at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. Is everything okay with him?"

"He…Stefan's gone out of town for awhile." Elena informed her reluctantly.

"Oh. Well when's he coming back? He'll be back in time to escort you in the parade on Founder's Day, won't he? It would look really stupid if you had to get a stand-in…again." She shot Damon a rude glance.

"I don't know." Elena growled through gritted teeth. If looks could kill, Caroline would have been out cold by then. Damon's eyes turned icy, staring her down with a look of pure menace. She took the hint.

"God. Excuse me for showing concern for my friend," she shot at them haughtily and turned on her heel, flouncing off. Elena grabbed Damon's drink from his hand and tossed back the rest of its contents, wincing as it burned her throat. Damon looked on silently, his eyebrows raised in concern. She turned to him wearily.

"Let's get out of here."

Seeing the distress beneath her cool expression, he willingly obliged her. "You got it, dude." Elena cracked a smile at hearing him quote the old 90's sitcom. He slapped a twenty on the counter and stood up, pushing Elena through the crowd and toward the door with his hand lightly pressing against the small of her back. Outside, Elena heard a faint rhythm beating through the twilight air. Looking around, she saw that there was a temporary stage set up down the street in the park, with a band currently playing surrounded by a fairly large crowd. She then noticed all of the posters on the light posts, advertising a founder's day concert in the park.

"Let's go over there," Elena said, nudging him with her shoulder and pointing toward the stage.

"Fine. You better hope that band is good, whoever they are." Damon conceded, pretending to be exasperated with her. They crossed the street and walked into the park, stopping on the fringe of the crowd back near the trees. Elena froze, suddenly struck by the lyrics of the slow song filling the air.

**Sometimes the edge serves as more than a friend than you thought it would be**

**And the pages you write in your journal each night are your only release**

**And the pain grows inside and the fear comes alive like you'll never be free**

**And there's no pain you feel that I know love can't heal here at all**

**Oh, I'm begging you no**

**There's more life left to go**

Elena found herself mesmerized by the gut-wrenchingly honest lyrics, and was disappointed when the song ended. She applauded with the rest of the crowd.

"Not bad for a nobody band," Damon commented casually, not wanting to admit how impressed he actually was. Elena stepped back and leaned against the tree, waiting for the next song. A lone guitar played a soaring, yet melancholy melody, and the lead singer stepped up to the microphone, drawing a deep breath. Elena suddenly tuned out the song, shivering violently in the sudden cold wind. The wind felt exactly the same as it had in her dream, and it chilled her to the core. Damon noticed and immediately draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her into his side to shelter her from the wind. Grateful, Elena turned into him, breathing in his intoxicating scent as she listened to the song.

**Is this a natural feeling**

**Or is it just me breathing all my thoughts and dreams in hope that you will be with me or**

**Is this a moment to remember**

**Or just a cold day in December **

**I wonder**

**Maybe I could be all you ever dreamed**

'**Cause you are beautiful inside**

**So lovely and I **

**Can't see why I'd be anywhere but here without you**

Damon mused over the slightly mushy but painfully relative lyrics, wondering what was happening. In any other situation, he would be mocking the band for its sentimental tendencies, but now he remained silent. Around Elena, he didn't feel the need to bite everyone's head off with sarcasm and snide remarks. Her honest, trusting demeanor rendered his devil-may-care façade unnecessary. Around her, he softened; she brought out his inner humanity. She would be the death of him. He squeezed her side gently as he felt her head lean back against his shoulder. She too seemed more vulnerable around him. _"I'll be safe. I have you."_ Her words echoed in his head, still shocking him by the blatant trust that had been so obviously displayed by her when she spoke them. Damon closed his eyes. For the first time in over 145 years, Damon felt like he mattered. He had a reason to exist; he was needed. Needed to take care of Elena after his complete idiot of a brother dumped her unceremoniously. His mouth twisting into a grim smile against his own will, he opened his eyes and looked around. He spotted Sheriff Forbes patrolling the perimeter. Curious about the tomb vampires, he realized he should go over and ask if there had been any more attacks. Reluctantly, he pulled his arm back from Elena's thin shoulders and stood in front of her.

"I'm going to talk to the Sheriff for a sec, check in on the tomb vamp situation. I'll be right back."

"'Kay. Hurry back, it's getting pretty dark and this wind is freezing." She wrapped her arms around herself, hunching over in an attempt to conserve body heat.

"Try not to miss me too much while I'm gone. It must be hard to go without such handsome company for a while." he called lightly over his shoulder as he walked away. Elena shook her head, rolling her eyes at how full of himself he was. The fact that his claims were slightly true made it even more infuriating. _He actually is quite attractive, when he's not being an ass, _she grudgingly admitted to herself. Truthfully, looking into his eyes for too long made her knees go weak. And she hated it. What was so special about his eyes anyways? _They're beautiful and they can see right through you, _a voice in the back of her head immediately answered. Elena shook her head violently, as if trying to shake the voice from her head. With a yawn, Elena looked up and realized she had company. A man, silent and deathly pale in the moonlight, was standing not a foot away from her, watching her intently. His brows drew together, and with a questioning, evil glint in his eye, he uttered-

"Katherine?"

…

**Sorry if the end seems weird or sluggish, I'm about to keel over and die of exhaustion here. Let me know if this chapter delivered, or what you would like to see more or less of in the upcoming chapters. Review! Pretty please. Hope this mild little cliffhanger was enough to keep you interested! Thanks again for reading, everyone. Hopefully the next chapter will be up in the next couple of days. Oh and by the way, the reference to the 90's sitcom was Full House, for those of you who didn't know. And the nobody band featured in this chapter? They're real. Called Safetysuit. They're really brilliant, very honest and refreshing. Their only album out right now, Life Left to Go, is amazing in its entirety. The two songs featured were Life Left to Go and Anywhere but Here. Give them a listen, they're one of my favorite bands! I love you all! Til next chapter. Feedback is love, as is Delena.**


	9. Chapter 9

**The journey continues…thank you so much to all of you who are sticking with my story and reviewing regularly! The only time I have to write anymore is late at night, so I hope these chapters are up to par and not getting tedious. Here we go again!**

**Chapter 9: Something Wicked This Way Comes**

**Previously:**

_ Elena looked up and realized she had company. A man, silent and deathly pale in the moonlight, was standing not a foot away from her, watching her intently. His brows drew together, and with a questioning, evil glint in his eye, he uttered- _

_ "Katherine?"_

…

Elena instinctively stepped back, wary of his nearness. "I'm sorry, you're mistaken. You've got the wrong person." The man sneered, taking another step toward her.

"You can't try to lie your way out of this one. I've waited 145 years for this."

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I'm not who you're looking for." Her heart rate increased as she noticed his eyes darkening, the veins growing prominent over his high cheekbones.

"Don't pretend it isn't all your fault we got locked up in that hellhole for over a century! Of course, it matters not to you. You just wiled your way past the guard and left us all to rot!" He shot forward and wrapped his hand roughly around her neck, slamming her back against the tree and snarling with fury. Elena gasped, but no sound escaped her mouth; her windpipe was being crushed under the hand of a vengeful tomb vampire. She kicked against his shins, infuriating him even further.

"There's no escaping. Your charms appear dulled over the years; no one will save you now. I'm going to torture you into understanding what you put us through, got that? Say goodbye to the afterlife, bitch!" With that he flung her by the neck to the ground, and dropped on his knees next to her, his cold hands tugging jerkily down at the waistband of her jeans.

…

"So there haven't been any recent attacks?" Damon reaffirmed with Sheriff Forbes, relieved to hear it.

"No, none have been reported since we found that Amber girl in the woods, and she's recovering nicely."

"Glad to hear it. I've got to go, keep me updated if you hear anything, Liz."

"Will do." She gave Damon a grim smile, and he nodded, turning to head back towards the tree he left Elena under. A shockwave slammed against his body as he saw Elena on the ground, struggling against a man whose hands were in a disgustingly wrong place. He sprinted in that direction, panicking and frustrated as hell that he couldn't use his vampire speed because of the crowd.

…

Elena writhed in panic, trying to shove off the extremely powerful vampire from his assault. She closed her eyes, willing a scream that just wouldn't come. Suddenly, the hands ripped away from her upper thighs and she felt his weight leave her. She rolled over on her side and curled up in a ball, trying to see what happened. Damon had the offender in a vise-like grasp, but the tables suddenly turned and Damon winced in pain, realizing that the vampire was clearly older than he was. The man clamped his hand over Damon's throat, squeezing mercilessly. Damon groaned and spluttered, then yanked away from the filthy creature and assumed a menacing protective stance over Elena, who was whimpering. The old vampire grinned toothily, revealing his fangs.

"Ah, I see how it is. Some things don't change after all. "He eyed Damon with a knowing squint. "I must be taking my leave. Until next time, Mr. Salvatore…Katherine." Then he was gone. Damon immediately turned and kneeled next to Elena, pulling her by her shaking shoulders into a sitting position.

"Did he hurt you? What did he do? If that bastard ever lays a hand on you again, I swear to God I'll…" he trailed off, focusing on Elena.

"He's convinced I'm Katherine…he said he was going to torture me for leaving them to rot. And then…then…" Elena hiccupped, looking down as she sobbed.

"Shh, shh, it's alright. I know. I promise you I won't let him hurt you anymore." Damon soothingly rubbed her back, shuddering internally at the thought of what would've happened if he had come a few seconds later. He leaned his forehead against hers, relieved that the scumbag hadn't gotten any farther with her. She looked up at him, her eyes shining.

"C-Can we go home?" she asked, her voice thick with tears.

"Sure, I'll drop you off there right now." He pulled her up by her elbows, steadying her. He then closed his eyes and clicked his heels together three times, chanting "There's no place like home." Elena shook her head.

"N-No. I mean h-h-home to the board-ding h-house." Damon nodded, his heart swelling at the fact that she thought of his home as her home, even with Stefan gone. He half-carried her across the street, leading her to the car. She leaned into him, shielding herself from the constant cold wind. They drove home in silence, with Damon sneaking looks at her every five seconds to make sure she was holding up.

At the boarding house, Elena ran upstairs to change clothes, trying to rid herself of the feeling of the vampire's hands all over her body. She yanked on a plain black t-shirt and dark green pajama shorts after vigorously scrubbing her face and neck with a hand towel. She walked back down and entered the kitchen, finding Damon leaning against the countertop and sipping from a tumbler of blood.

"You want me to fix you some food?"

Elena shook her head. "I'm really not hungry."

Damon looked at her closely before observing "Considering there's a crazed and vengeful tomb vamp running around out to get us right now, I think it would be best if you stayed here a little longer. Just to be safe."

"That's fine. I want to. I feel safer here." She looked down, her head bowed in anguish. Damon couldn't stand to see her this way, moping and brooding like Stefan did. He put down his tumbler and closed the distance between them, taking her hand.

"Don't worry. I'll get rid of him. Everything's going to be fine." He gently raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, barely grazing her warm skin. She felt her insides twist up in a desire that she desperately fought. Then, out of the blue, her dropped her hand and scratched at her side, tickling her with a mischievous light in his eye. She let out a strangled laugh, bending to the side in an attempt to block his hand. He then tickled the side of her neck, and she squirmed and shouted with involuntary laughter. She playfully slapped his hand away.

"Hey! That's not fair! You're taking advantage of a weakness you shouldn't even know about! You better stop it now or I'll…" he didn't cease, amping up the tickling by poking her on both sides, grazing his fingertips along her ribcage. She ran around behind him in mock anger, attacking him by grabbing his shoulders and jumping up onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist from behind. He put his hands behind her knees and ran out of the kitchen. She shrieked with laughter and draped her elbows over his shoulders, beating her fists against his chest in protest. He continued to fly through the house, content her mind was currently off of the rest of her life as she pushed against him while pretending to be mad. He knew he had to give her this fun while he could, because he knew there was nothing but trouble to come.

Elena fell back against the couch, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. She looked up at Damon with an amusingly irritated expression, and he smirked back, his eyes flashing.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?" Damon questioned innocently.

"You know what." A smile crept onto Elena's face, realizing that they had used the exact same words in that conversation they had that one time in her kitchen during "family night," as Damon had called it. "That eye thing that you do?"

"Why. Does it bother you?" He waggled his eyebrows at her quizzically.

"Uh, no." Elena lied.

"Then I guess there's no reason for me to stop, then is there?" Damon tossed his head arrogantly. Elena blushed, regretting bringing it up in the first place. His eyes flickered over to her as he listened to her heart stutter in her chest. A sliver of hope rose within him, wondering if this whole thing wasn't a lost cause after all. In his mind, they were a match made in heaven; they understood each other. They were two lovers, both abandoned in a gut-wrenching manner, and left alone to pick up the pieces together. They both brought out the life of each other, and he was going to stop at nothing to make it right and win her over. Her slowing heartbeat brought him back to reality.

"Oh, hey I cleared out one of the guest rooms for you to crash in, since I figured you'd rather not sleep on the couch again or in my brother's room."

"Oh, thanks. Now I know where to dump my suitcase." She sighed as her phone rang, interrupting them. She looked at the screen and flipped it open.

"Hey, Jenna."

"Hey. I was just wondering why you haven't called, is everything ok over there?"

Elena paced around the room. "Yeah, everything's fine, I've just been really busy."

"'Kay. Just be sure and check in with me every once in a while, alright? When do you think you're coming home?"

Elena glanced over at Damon, knowing he could hear both ends of the conversation. "Um, Stefan…he's worse than I thought. He's got mono." Damon shrugged, then nodded flippantly. "It'll probably be a few weeks before he's ok on his own."

"Okay, sweetie, as long as you're fine over there. Call me eventually, will you?"

"Sure thing. 'Night, Jenna."

"Bye honey." Elena hung up, snapping the phone shut with a flick of her wrist. Damon walked over to the stairs and motioned for her to follow.

"Come on, I'll show you your room. It's right down the hall from the bathroom." She followed him up the stairs and he grabbed her suitcase, disappearing through a door to the right. She walked in to see him dumping her suitcase on a silky bedspread that matched the wallpaper; the entire room was a cool shade of blue, tinged with gray. The bedside table and dresser were both mahogany with clawed feet. The heavy curtains pulled back to reveal a massive floor-to-ceiling French window facing the west. She looked over to Damon, raising her eyebrows as she inclined her head.

"Thanks. I like it. It…fits me." Damon's mouth twisted into a crooked grin.

"I thought so too." They looked at each other for a beat, both expressions unfathomable. "I'll go, you probably want to get some sleep. See you in the morning." He slowly walked out, closing the door behind him. Elena unpacked her things and put them in the dresser, guessing she would probably be here for a while. That vampire was stronger than Damon, and it was going to take some time to get rid of him. She opened her door and padded down the hall to brush her teeth and comb her hair. As she returned to her room, she smiled at how Damon had somehow managed to pick her favorite guest room without her saying a word about it. It was almost eerie how well he knew her. She climbed into the huge bed, snuggling into the incredibly soft, cool sheets. Spreading out on her back, she stared up the blue canopy, willing herself to go to sleep. She suddenly jerked up on her elbow, wary at the scratching noise outside her window. _It's just a tree outside, probably hitting your window in the wind, that's all. Calm down, _she thought to herself. She rolled over restlessly, turning her back to the window and burying herself further under the comforter. Paranoid thoughts skittered across her mind, followed by consternation, reassuring herself that she had an overactive imagination. Yet for the next half hour the scratching continued, occasionally accompanied by a shifting noise and a howling wind. Suddenly her bedroom door flew open, followed by a dreadfully familiar gust of chilling wind. Elena yanked the comforter over her nose, her eyes wide as they peeped out over it.

"Damon!" she whispered frantically, knowing he would hear her. Not 2 seconds later he was standing in her doorway, still dressed in all black.

"What?" he whispered back, shoving his hands in his front pockets.

"Something's outside the window." Damon quickly crossed the room and shoved the curtains aside, looking out into the pitch black night. His eyebrows knit together, his jaw flexing in discontent, obviously not liking what he saw, or rather, felt.

"He's circling the grounds. He found us; I can sense his presence. Since this house isn't owned by a human, he can come and go as he pleases." Damon related bleakly. Elena's eyes widened even further as she curled up into a ball under the covers, gripped with fear. Damon walked to her bedside, yanking her covers back and pulling her out of bed by the hand.

"Come on. You're sleeping with me. The closer you are to me, the easier it is for me to keep you safe." He pulled on her hand lightly as her feet hit the floor. He glanced back, expecting her to protest, but she didn't; she was too terrified to object to his offer of protection. He led her out into the hall, and she followed behind him like a small child. It slowly registered with her that she was getting to see his room while she was actually in a state to realize what was going on; she unconsciously quickened her steps. He led her up a dark staircase at the opposite end of the hall. The top of the stairs stopped at one door, standing slightly ajar. He drew her into the room and released her hand, shutting the door behind him and locking it. The room was fairly large, but it felt smaller due to the fact that the walls were painted black. The heavy black and gold curtains were drawn, and the room was lit solely by candlelight. Against one wall were rows and rows of bookshelves, filled with old tomes and various gadgets. There was a sturdy wooden desk on an oriental rug a few feet away from the bookshelves, and across the room was a king size four poster bed, made up with black complete with gold accents. The room fit him to a T. Damon strolled over to the bed and pulled down the comforter, jumping back onto the bed and reclining lazily. He patted the bed next to him, inviting her to sit down. She folded her arms and hesitantly made her way over to the bed, climbing onto the unoccupied side and sitting cross-legged, facing him. They sat in silence for a moment before she remembered something.

"Damon?"

"Yes?" he drawled.

"Lately in the house I've been feeling this really cold breeze whipping around. It's a pretty strong wind, yet none of the doors or windows is open. Is there a possibility it has anything to do with the tomb vampire lurking around here, or am I just paranoid?"

Damon pondered her question a moment before responding. "No, you're right. It's probably him. Remember when I first came to town, before you met me, how there was often a spontaneous fog?" She nodded. "That was me. Normal vampires who drink human blood can often control a certain element. He's probably using his power to produce the wind."

"That's just great." Elena groaned, closing her eyes and leaning her head back. Even so, she couldn't help but feel safer. Damon's presence made her feel like nothing could harm her. Something about him seemed to radiate strength, and it was incredibly reassuring. Feeling the tension in her body relax, she stretched out and pulled the covers over her, leaning back against the soft, downy pillow. As her head sank into the pillow, she was enveloped by Damon's warm, heady scent. She drowsily turned her face into it, her mouth suddenly watering. Surrounded by it, she felt herself dozing off. Not knowing why she was doing this in her clouded state of mind, Elena suddenly spoke up, her voice slow with sleepiness.

"Hey Damon?"

"Mhm?"

"This morning when you said I was talking in my sleep, when I was having a bad dream?"

"How could I forget? You bit me." Elena was too comfortable to roll over and slap him.

"Well that important thing on God's green earth, the person I was yelling for?" she yawned. "It was you."

Damon's eyes widened in shock, the look on his face identical to the one he wore when he first had dinner at Elena's, and she had apologized for him losing Katherine too. He couldn't believe that she had been so distraught about his welfare, even if it was only a dream. _She cares. _The thought hit him like a train, blowing his mind. _She's the first person that's cared about you in 145 years._ At that moment, he fell harder than he ever dreamed he could. His heart exploded into uncharted territory. He eased himself a little closer to her, knowing she was already asleep. He wrapped his arm around her waist, lightly resting his chest against her back and pressing his face into her hair. He felt her side rise and fall slowly under his hand as she breathed. He closed his eyes, breathing in her irresistibly sweet aroma. He loved her, and he wasn't about to let some bloodthirsty old member of the undead take her away.

** Creepy old bat of a vamp, isn't he? Lurking about in the shadows, liable to spring an attack when we least expect it. I can feel the Delena coming, for those of you getting impatient. Elena is realizing she feels something WAY more for Damon, she just needs to come to terms with it. **_**Please review**_**, the last few chapters didn't get a great response and I'm hoping I'm finally doing this all justice. Reviews mean more than anything to a writer. Thanks for reading, I love you all! (But just not as much as I love Damon. No offense, surely you guys can understand) But really. I appreciate all of you SO much. I'll try to get another chapter up this weekend! Feedback is Love. Over and out.**

**- Annie **


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you SO much for the overwhelming response last chapter! It was lovely. I know I said I would try and post another chapter over the weekend, but I forgot I was going to Atlanta (to see the Phantom of the Opera. It was phenomenal!) so I apologize for being late. I'm leaving for a trip to D.C. Tuesday night, and I'll be gone until Sunday, so expect the next chapter after this sometime in the first half of next week. Sorry it'll be so long! It's going to be awful not having time to write (I'll be in an exhaustive conference series all week). Without further delay, here's chapter 10!**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own any part of the Vampire Diaries. If I did, it would just be an hour of shirtless Damon every Thursday night.**

**Chapter 10: Calm before the Storm**

Elena woke from a pleasantly dreamless sleep, half hoping that Damon would still be there; of course, he wasn't. Her face fell slightly, but she wasn't surprised. She climbed out of the extremely comfortable, gargantuan bed and crept over to the window, peeking through the heavy curtain. She relaxed, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. There were pale gray clouds gathering in the morning sky, but that was hardly unusual as of late. Letting the curtain fall back, Elena walked toward the door and unlocked it, quietly descending the stairs. She turned to bound down the main staircase to find breakfast, but paused, hearing voices waft up from the kitchen, speaking in dark, business-like tones. Elena swiveled around, carefully tiptoeing across the lush Oriental rug to the bathroom to get dressed first. Curious, she hastily washed her face and threw her hair into a messy ponytail before tossing on some black jeans and a deep purple v neck sweater. She scampered down the stairs and peeked around the corner to see Damon deep in conversation with Alaric.

"Hello, Elena," Damon greeted her without looking up. Elena frowned and crossed her arms, sheepishly making her entrance.

"What's going on?" Elena raised an eyebrow at Damon.

"I was just informing Ric here of the company you and I had here last night." He turned his attention back to Alaric, his expression serious. "Anyways, the crazed old lunatic thinks Elena is Katherine – yes I know, it's getting to be pretty redundant, isn't it? – and he's out for revenge for her leaving him to go moldy in the tomb for the past 145 years. Don't get me wrong, I think it's what the little bitch deserves. But, we can't let him go through with it if he thinks Elena is the culprit. So basically, the plan is, we stake him." Damon clicked his tongue, making a stabbing motion with his fist, his eyes malevolent. Alaric rolled his eyes.

"This town's never going to catch a break, is it?" he sighed. "Wait. If the vampire's older than you, how are you planning on taking him down?"

Damon leaned his neck back, offended. "Ouch! Despite what you may think, I have my own strategies, and brilliant ones, I might add. And, of course, by some microscopic chance they don't work, we always have Ric the death-defying human to fall back on." Damon clapped him on the shoulder with a mocking grin. Alaric's shoulders slumped. "Fine. Let me go out to the car so I can leave you guys some stakes and vervain darts, in case he comes in the house. So you won't break in to my house and _steal _them like last time." Elena looked at her feet and Damon shrugged innocently, and Ric turned on his heel and trudged out to his car. Once he was gone, Elena reached into the cabinet and grabbed a cereal box, reaching into it and grabbing a handful to toss in her mouth.

"Eating like a man again," Damon sang under his breath. Elena shot him a death glare, but didn't react any further and continued to munch on her breakfast.

Ric popped his trunk, grabbing a few stakes and a handful of darts. Satisfied, he closed the trunk with his elbow and trekked back across the yard. He readjusted his grip on the weapons, and vervain dart slipped from his arms unnoticed, falling into the grass. As he opened the front door, he thought he saw a shadow flicker across the yard, but he turned and saw nothing. Shaking his head, he continued into the house and slammed the door behind him.

After the teacher left, Damon handed a dart and a stake to Elena.

"Just in case," he explained. She took them silently, keeping her eyes on Damon as he left the room. She followed him out to the parlor, where he was pouring himself a glass of scotch. He took a sip and settled into an old leather armchair. Elena crossed over to him, as if pulled by a magnetic force, and sat down on one of the armrests of his seat.

"Damon, do you remember that vampire? From 1864? Was he familiar at all?"

Damon was silent for a moment, thoughtfully tracing the rim of his glass with a finger before answering, "No. He must have been a servant for another household. I'd never seen him before until last night." Elena thought over this, her mind in the past. A question suddenly surfaced at the forefront of her thoughts, one she'd been meaning to ask for a while.

"Can I ask you something?"

Damon took another swig of scotch. "Just did."

"No, seriously."

"Shoot," he replied without glancing at her.

Elena paused for a moment before plowing ahead. "What happened to your father after all the whole vampire fiasco? Stefan would never talk about it." Her question hung in the air for several seconds before he answered.

"It's a very sore subject with him." Damon's eyes got a faraway look in them before he continued. "After we woke up, before completing the transition, Stefan and I had planned to die; the only reason to change had been taken away from us, or so we thought. Stefan went to talk to our father to try to reconcile our differences, or, at the very least, speak to him one last time. Father, being the vampire-phobe that he was, attacked Stefan, who defended himself reflexively. He was stronger than he realized, and father was bleeding pretty badly. Before he realized what he was doing, Stefan's primal instincts took over and he drained dear old dad. End of story." Damon threw back the remaining contents of his glass and got up to pour himself another.

"Oh my God," Elena choked out, putting two and two together. "That means that he…that he-"

"Turned first? Yep," Damon finished, popping the p. He sat back down, his elbow brushing her thigh.

"I never would've imagined." Elena shook her head in disbelief.

"What? That Stefan chose that life willingly? That he went first?" Damon snapped bitterly. "Well he did. You probably imagined that I gleefully forced this life on him. Let's get one thing straight, ok? It was the other way around." Elena's eyes widened in shock. As she processed this information, she faintly noticed that Damon's expression was hard and cold; yet she knew that just behind the surface was a tumultuous wave of regret, anger, and even sorrow. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she gazed unflinchingly into his icy eyes.

"Damon! Tell me." She shook his shoulder lightly. He turned and looked deep into her eyes, resolve forming. He breathed deeply.

"Stefan came back a different person. He appeared to me in a state of wonder. He was fearless, powerful, and intoxicated with his new state of being. He tried to persuade me to feed, describing his heightened senses and strength. I refused; I wanted to die right then and there. He had brought a young girl with him as a gift; I was revolted. He bit her and then forced her on me; at that point I couldn't fight the thirst any longer. And here I am, 145 years later. It's been a hell of a ride." Elena sat motionless, shocked at what she was hearing. Yet somehow, she believed him. Damon never lied to her, why would he start now? She reached down and pried the scotch from his hands, taking a sip. It burned her throat as it slid down, and she scrunched her nose, handing the glass back to Damon, who finished it. Elena slid her hand deliberately down his shoulder and brought it to rest on his forearm, squeezing it lightly.

"Well, this may sound selfish, but I for one am glad you completed the transition." He looked at her like she had gone mad. Taken aback, he eyed her questioningly. "Because if you hadn't, I wouldn't have you here with me right now, and then where would I be?" Damon looked down, blinking rapidly. In his 145 years, no human had ever demonstrated that they _wanted _him there. Not sure of his own expression, he turned his gaze back to Elena, and they exchanged a deep stare. He unconsciously leaned into her, searching her eyes as he listened to her pulse race. He was close enough to feel her hot breath tickle his lips. Blinking slowly, Elena swallowed hard. "I better go get my jacket. It looks like rain and I need pockets to put the stakes in." She slowly backed away, her head swimming with his scent and her eyes filled with the sight of his lovely blue ones. She turned away and slowly walked up to her room, feeling slightly off balance.

Once she was gone, Damon got up to refill his drink in a slight daze. Replaying the last few minutes in his head, a sloppy grin spread across his face as he drank, his eyes closed. Savoring the taste, something suddenly nagged at the back of his mind; something was off. His eyes snapped open and he froze, the smile falling off his face. He could no longer hear Elena's heartbeat. Cursing, he tossed his glass aside and ran with superhuman speed up to her room. He flung open the door, his eyes flickering from corner to corner in search of movement. He was suddenly stricken by a cold wind, and saw with horror that one of the windows was open, the blue curtains fluttering in the breeze. Before he could move, he felt lightning hot pain searing between his shoulder blades like thousands of needles. His vision dimmed, and he crumpled forward, an image of Elena's sweet brown eyes dancing in his mind the nanosecond before everything faded to black.

** Shoot! Sorry about the cliffhanger, I hope I can get in another chapter before I leave.** **And sorry this isn't longer, I just had to save the rest of everything for another chapter or it wouldn't flow right. Please don't be mad and still review! The overwhelming amount of reviews made me so happy last time. Reviews inspire me to keep going. And if you'll just hang in there, I promise there will be some incredibly epic major Delena action in the next 2 chapters, 3 at the most. It's all planned out already, and it's beautiful (well it is in my head at least). I've finally found a spot in the story where it feels natural. Hope this chapter worked for you, and don't forget: Feedback really is love.**

**- Annie **


	11. Chapter 11

**Here I am again, trying to squeeze this last chapter in before I leave for the week. I'm really frazzled with everything going on right now, so I hope it doesn't show through the writing. Off we go!**

**Chapter 11: Standing on the Edge**

**Previously:**

_His eyes snapped open and he froze, the smile falling off his face. He could no longer hear Elena's heartbeat. Cursing, he tossed his glass aside and ran with superhuman speed up to her room. He flung open the door, his eyes flickering from corner to corner in search of movement. He was suddenly stricken by a cold wind, and saw with horror that one of the windows was open, the blue curtains fluttering in the breeze. Before he could move, he felt lightning hot pain searing between his shoulder blades like thousands of needles. His vision dimmed, and he crumpled forward, an image of Elena's sweet brown eyes dancing in his mind the nanosecond before everything faded to black._

…

Elena was suddenly seized from behind, a cold hand clamping over her mouth and another tying her hands roughly behind her back. Without warning, she was flung out the window, landing on a wide ledge some five feet below. She felt a few ribs crunch on impact and groaned, closing her eyes and praying Damon would come. A pair of boots landed lightly near her face from seemingly out of nowhere. The face of the tomb vampire suddenly appeared in front of her, giving her a toothy grin. She thrashed and tried to scream, nearly falling off the ledge in the process of doing so. His icy hands reached out and grabbed her, pulling her upright against him. The pressure on her ribs made hot tears well up in Elena's eyes as the vampire held her and jumped lithely from the roof. Once on the ground, he stepped back and scrutinized her, his eyes black and calculating.

"It appears I've made a mistake. You're not Katherine, she wasn't ever this weak. You're human. You must be a descendant of hers, though I can't figure how that would be…" He trailed off, speaking mostly to himself. "You appear to be injured; that won't do. I only feed on healthy humans. Here." In a flash, he suddenly grasped Elena from behind, biting his wrist and force feeding her from it. She struggled to no avail. She felt her ribs heal, but the sensation didn't even cross her mind. Panicking, she realized that if he killed her, she had enough vampire blood in her system to transition. Giving the man a once over, she realized he was holding an emptied vervain syringe in his hand. _Oh God, Damon! _She understood now why Damon hadn't jumped in to save her like he had been as of late. _He's probably out cold, _she deduced miserably.

"If you were wise, you wouldn't raise a fuss right now. It just gives me a reason for me to kill you sooner, and neither of us would enjoy that. You see, I like to play with my food." Elena's eyes widened and he chuckled softly at her expression.

"You won't get away with this. Half of this town knows about vampires," Elena spat.

"You are correct there, but it seems to make no difference, considering all of the killings that have already happened." He replied matter-of-factly. "And the only one who knows I've got you is your boyfriend up there, who I just injected with vervain." Elena opened her mouth to correct him, that Damon was most definitely not her boyfriend, but closed it again, unsure of what to say. Right now, she didn't know _what _Damon was to her; their relationship was indefinable, in a sort of limbo.

"I'm forgetting myself," the vampire said politely. "I'm Gabriel. And you are?"

"I don't have to tell you anything," Elena said defiantly.

Gabriel's mouth twisted into a wry smile. "Oh, but I think you do." Elena was about to protest, her hand drifting up to her neck…_her bare neck. _Without her necklace, she was subject to all compulsion. _Oh hell, _she thought incoherently.

"Now let's try that again. Who are you?" he said somewhat impatiently. Elena bit her lip. She knew she had to answer if she didn't want her mind controlled.

"Elena Gilbert."

"Ah, Gilbert. A founding family. Considering your likeness to the lovely Miss Pierce, though, you can't be a Gilbert by blood." Elena said nothing. "Well enough of this chit-chat. We must be going." And with that, he swept her up in one quick motion and darted into the woods.

…

Damon opened his eyes groggily, the dim light in the room stinging them. Disoriented and incapacitated by the vervain, he could hardly move a limb. The smallest twitch sent his muscles into sore, achy spasms. A deep groan escaped his lips. _Elena. _Her name pounded through his head like a jackhammer. _Gotta find Elena. _With a low cry of pain, Damon rolled over onto his back. Nearly passing out again from pain with the action, he slowly reached into his pocket and closed his fingers around his cell phone. Dialing Ric's number with great difficulty, he put it on speakerphone and dropped the phone beside his face. It rang three times before he picked up.

"Hello?"

"He's got Elena." There was a beat of silence.

"How did that happen?"

"Stabbed me with vervain. Took her out the window." Damon spoke what was only necessary, trying to conserve energy.

"What can I do?"

"Get a stake. Drive around and start looking. Search for a dramatic setting, the guy seemed a bit theatrical. Go. _Now._"

"I'm on it." There was a faint click as the teacher hung up. Damon pushed the button on his phone, slowly sitting up. The vervain was starting to wear off, but he was still dreadfully sore. Painstakingly, he got up and walked down to the kitchen, his legs bending stiffly. He opened the fridge and got out three bags of blood, then drained them all. He still wouldn't be 100 percent, but the blood would help somewhat. Damon headed out to his car, still too weak to run around town on foot.

…

The vampire wasn't careful as he raced among the foliage, and Elena felt branches catching at her sweater and ripping it. Her hair was falling out of her ponytail, tiny leaves and twigs clinging in it. She knew she should be panicking right now, but she couldn't help pondering a thought from earlier. Damon wasn't her boyfriend, of course not. He never seemed the type for established relationships anyways. But he meant something to her, that was for sure. They understood each other. She looked past his bad behavior and saw that he was hurting. Lashing out was just his way of coping. And he didn't keep things from her, not like Stefan. He often spoke to her as an equal when it came to important matters. She liked that. And after spending so much time with him, she realized that he just needed someone to care about him, for once. Elena found herself doing just that: caring. She realized she did back in Atlanta when she was begging for his life. It wasn't clear to her why she had fought so hard to save him; all she could remember was thinking, _not him. _He had grown to be the one constant in her life since then, the ever-present sarcastic brother of her now ex-boyfriend who stood off to the side and pretended not to care. She knew it was a carefully constructed façade; why else would he have worked so hard to save his brother, whom he detested, or sit with Elena all night after they locked him up? That night was a haze to her. All she remembered was falling asleep gazing at Damon's striking, melancholy profile, illuminated by the dim light of the stairwell.

A sharp twig shredded a hole across the shoulder of Elena's sweater, snapping her back into reality. She prayed that Damon was alright, and that he woke up soon. She was afraid of what would happen if he didn't. Gabriel suddenly jerked to a halt, dropping Elena unceremoniously. As her knees hit the ground, she took in her surroundings. They were in the old cemetery, under a large oak tree surrounded by undisturbed ground. The plots were empty for 50 feet in every direction, and Elena was grateful; that meant fewer tombstones to trip over if she had the chance to break away. The vampire suddenly yanked her up by the shoulder, untying her hands and pushing her up against the oak tree. Holding her in his iron grip, he stared at her, his pupils dilating.

"You will not leave this spot. You will not scream under any circumstances."

Elena's eyes grew blank and dull as she repeated, "I will not leave."

"There's a good girl." Gabriel's mouth twisted into a smirk more evil than any one she had ever seen on Damon. Elena shivered as Gabriel moved his hands to her waist, his cold fingers grazing against patches of her exposed skin through the holes in her sweater. He lowered his head to the base of her neck, his tongue pressing against a vein, feeling her pulse. Underneath the foggy listlessness of the compulsion, Elena was repulsed. His tongue on her neck made her skin crawl, yet she was ordered not to move. Feeling her heart rate increase rapidly, he smiled wickedly, unable to hold off his thirst anymore, and went in for the kill.

…

Alaric turned away from the tomb, finding no one there, and jogged back to his car, stake in hand. Once in the car, he quickly typed out a message to Damon on his phone: _Not at the tomb. Meet me at the cemetery._ Snapping his phone shut, he sped away. The old cemetery was the only other "dramatic setting" that he could think of besides the town square, and he assumed the old vampire wouldn't be reckless enough to feed on someone in such plain sight. _Feed. _Ric pressed down harder on the gas, accelerating as he wove through the curvy old streets. As he neared the old burial grounds, the bottom fell out of the dark clouds above and it began to rain.

** Sorry this chapter is so short, but I didn't have much time to write in between packing and getting ready to leave. I also apologize for the lack of Delena in this chapter, but I swear the next chapter will make up for it several times over. I can see it in my head now and it's making me smile like a schoolgirl in love ;-) Unfortunately, I won't be able to type it out until next Monday, so this FanFic is being forced to take a short break. Even so, please take a few seconds and leave me a ****review****! I can't tell you how much that means to me. I'll miss all of this over the next week. A few final words: Delena forever. Feedback is love**


	12. Chapter 12

**Whew! I got back yesterday at 4 a.m. and slept all day, so I just got around to writing this chapter. Sorry for the hiatus, there was no wireless in my hotel. I know the lack of Delena in the past couple of chapters have been boring and probably why there hasn't been many reviews, so here we go!**

**Chapter 12: Little By Little, All at Once **

Ric pulled into the cemetery, struggling to see through the torrents of rain hitting his windshield like bullets**. ** Grabbing a stake and slamming the car door, he set out, immediately getting soaked to the skin. His shoes squelching with water, he jogged up and down the rows of headstones, darting his eyes back and forth through the shadows. Nearing the back of the cemetery, he crossed over to a clearing edged with large oak trees. He turned a corner and saw the vampire, his head bent over Elena, who was looking limp and a little worse for wear. Praying that the vamp hadn't bitten yet, he sneaked around to the other side of a different tree, then stealthily crossed over and stood not 3 feet behind the demon, his stake raised high.

…

Damon sped down the road like there was no tomorrow, pushing his old car to its limit. He could feel himself slowly regaining strength, but he couldn't think about that, not when the word _torture_ was ingraining itself in his mind. The vampire had expressed his wishes to _torture _Elena. If Damon got there too late, if she had to suffer at the hands of that bastard, he would toss off his ring and find a merciful patch of sunlight to step into, by God. There was nothing else to live for. Finally arriving at the cemetery, Damon leaped out of his car and took off through the pouring rain, trying to decipher a heartbeat through his weakened senses.

…

Elena dimly realized she was about to die as Gabriel lowered his head to her neck. Under the compulsion, she had accepted the fact that her life was being cut short. The acceptance had allowed her mind to focus on other things, and all she saw or heard was Damon. Damon's eyes. Damon's sense of humor. His gentleness. His scent. His _heart. _The heart she knew to be more sensitive than anyone else's that she'd ever met. She never got to tell him goodbye. She never got to say how much she really cared about him. How she might love him. A tear trickled down her face, melting in with the driving rain that was drenching her through the trees. Elena's eyes fell shut in defeat, her arms dangling limply at her sides. She waited for the bite that would end her. It never came. Something inside her snapped, and she felt a release as she stepped forward, her eyes still closed; the compulsion was broken. Her jaw dropping, she forced her eyes open and found herself standing a few feet away from Alaric, who had an expression of something between shock and triumph on his face. Looking down, Elena saw Gabriel crumpled and gray, lying between them with blank, unseeing eyes, a stake protruding from his chest. Relief hitting her like a train, she stepped over the body and threw her arms around the life-saving teacher, too overwhelmed with gratitude to form a coherent sentence.

"Thank you Thank you Thank you…saved my life…" Elena choked out between sobs, her chin resting over his shoulder. Opening her eyes, she saw a familiar black figure approaching the edge of the clearing. The sight of him caused her chest to explode, incapable of holding back all of her emotions anymore. Pulling back from Ric, she stumbled over the deceased vampire and ran across the clearing, rain hitting her skin like needles. As she neared him, she noticed that his arms were spread apart, held open to her unconsciously. His expression was unreadable, but she didn't care. Just as she thought her ragged breath would give out on her, she reached him. She jumped into his arms, putting her hands on his shoulders as she threw her legs around him, securing herself around his waist. He staggered back a little, but recovered and wrapped his arms across her back, feeling bare skin through all the rips in her sweater. Without giving it another thought, Elena crushed her mouth to his, not able to go a second longer without conveying to him how she really felt. At first he was shocked, but recovered quickly and kissed her back, with more passion than any other kiss he had given before. His strong mouth slowed hers down, drawing out the kiss and making it slower and languid. She was consumed with how sweet he tasted, and she opened her mouth against his, releasing a slow hot breath while tangling her fingers in his dripping wet hair. He almost died at her response, and he pressed his fingers against her bare skin exposed at the waist. He slowly stroked her tongue with his, and they tangled together in a burst of passion. Elena's breath caught with a faint whimper of desire, and she pressed herself as close as she could to his chest, dizzy with his scent. The world seemed to have stopped turning and not even time existed in this blissful place where only the two of them thrived. Elena pulled her mouth from his, trying to draw breath. She rested her forehead against his, staring into his smoldering blue eyes and breathing his air. Seeing that look in his eyes once again, this time she was able to put a finger on it: love. At that moment, Elena knew she would never kiss another person besides him, Damon Salvatore, for all eternity.

As he leaned his forehead against Elena's, happiness broke in waves over Damon for the first time in centuries. Pure, unadulterated happiness. She had given him the one thing he had wanted more than anything in his entire existence: herself. Unable to speak through the lovely haze and unwilling to break the silence, he dragged his hands down Elena's sides and over her hips, bringing them to rest under her thighs to hold her up. He lowered his head to her shoulder, kissing her wet bare skin where her sweater had been ripped away. He kissed his way over her collarbone and up her neck, his tongue darting out to brush against the silky skin on her jaw right beneath her ear. A small noise rose from the back of her throat, and Elena's head dropped back, her eyes rolling up in pleasure.

"Damon…" she breathed, an undertone of warning in her voice. Oh. _Right. _Ric and the dead tomb vamp were still over there. Not wanting to break the contact, Damon pulled her around and carried her in his arms across the clearing, swallowing hard. She rested the side of her head on his collarbone, pressing her face into his neck and kissing it. Damon's eyes fluttered with pleasure, still not believing that Elena was finally _his. _She pressed herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and keeping her face tucked into the base of his throat.

"Thank you, Ric. Neither of us would still be here if not for your help." Damon looked at him with an expression of sincere gratitude. Ric nodded, and looked at a collapsed Elena in Damon's arms, sighing.

"You guys must both be pretty beat. Go back to the boarding house, and I'll take care of it from here. When the rain stops, I'll torch him and be done with it. "The two of them both looked up at the sky, where the rain was beginning to subside. Damon shot Alaric another grateful look, trying to convey how appreciative he really was, and turned to go, carrying Elena back to the car. Her heart beat at a relaxed pace, and he was relieved beyond imagination that she wasn't hurt besides the few scratches here and there. When he reached the car, he carefully laid her, now sleeping, into the passenger seat. Her head lolled back against the leather, and he gently pulled the leaves and twigs from her wet hair. He dusted his hands off and sank into the driver's seat, turning up the heat to keep her warm as he drove home. The vervain still hadn't completely worn off, and he was exhausted. The warm circulating air enveloped him with her sweet scent, and he could've fallen asleep right then and there. He shook his head, focusing on the road.

Three-quarters of the way home, Elena slowly opened her eyes, rolling her head over to look sleepily at Damon's gorgeous profile. Slightly disoriented, she groaned.

"Where are we?" her voice cracked with sleep.

"We're almost home, honey, don't worry." He reassured her in a soft low voice. Elena faintly noticed that this was the first time had ever used a pet name with her in a serious manner. A meager smile tugged at her lips as she drifted back into unconsciousness. What felt like seconds later, she heard the engine shut off and Damon get out of the car. Feeling slightly more alert, she stepped out past Damon, who was holding open her door for her, and grabbed his hand, pulling him along with her up to the front door. He got out his keys and unlocked the heavy front door, and they walked into the house to be greeted by welcoming heat billowing from the fireplace. Not releasing hands, they slowly ascended the staircase, both dragging their feet. On the landing, she turned around and drew him into what would've been a bone-crushing hug, if he were human. He bent his head down to rest against the side of her face, lightly placing his hands on her hips.

"Thank you," she whispered, her breath tickling his ear. She felt him nod against her, his lips brushing against her neck with the movement. Closing her eyes, she pulled away. Giving him a long, weary but assuring look, she put her hands on his shoulders and leaned in to kiss his cheek, pulling away before she could drown in his dizzying scent again. Dragging her fingertips down his chest with the release, she turned and disappeared into the bathroom to get clean. Damon sighed, a hollow aching feeling gnawing at his chest. He refused to consider the sappy cliché "loving so much that it hurts," but couldn't help but identify with it in his current state. He turned and slowly plodded up to his room, too tired to even think.

Elena ripped off her shredded clothing, holding them to her face and inhaling as she waited for the shower to heat up. They smelled like rainwater and Damon. The most intoxicating scent she had ever come across. Reluctantly dropping them, she stepped into the shower and relaxed under the hot stream. She took her time washing up, her mind lingering over the events of a few hours ago. The kiss…she smiled reflexively. It felt right. More right than any kiss she had ever shared with Stefan. Even after the fact, Elena realized that she stood by her original resolution that she would never kiss again if it wasn't Damon Salvatore. Nothing could ever compare to that. She could still taste him on her tongue, and it was like tasting a little piece of heaven. She giggled at her sappy thoughts, shaking her head at their uncharacteristic nature. She turned off the water and walked out of the shower, rubbing at the fogged up mirror with her towel. She dried herself off and combed her hair, then put on fresh underwear and brushed her teeth. She didn't replace her clothes, but merely wrapped a towel around her before walking out into the hall. The kitchen below was dark and quiet, so she crept up to Damon's room, knowing she would find him there. The door was slightly ajar, and she softly pushed it open, slipping into the dimly-lit room. Damon was sprawled out on the bed, shirtless and clearly half-dead with exhaustion. His arm stretched across the bed, and he was laying flat on his back with his other arm slung over his well-defined stomach. Elena let out a pent-up breath. _God, he's even more beautiful when he's asleep, _she observed, staring at his relaxed, innocent-looking face.

Not wanting to wake him, she quietly padded over to the bed and carefully crawled up onto it, lying down and snuggling into his side. She laid her head against his extended arm and rested her arm also across his stomach, placing her hand softly over his. The only thing separating them from full skin-on-skin contact was her towel, but she was so tired she didn't care. Relaxing against his side, she felt her eyes grow heavy, and she gave in to sleep.

…

Elena awoke in an entirely different position than she had fallen asleep in. Sometime during the night, her towel had slipped off and was lying crumpled underneath her ribcage. Her bare back was pressed against Damon's bare chest, and his arms clutched her to him tightly, as if he was afraid she would disappear if he let her go. His arms were curled over her, one on her ribcage right beneath her bra and the other looped under her, drawing her against him with light pressure, his forearm resting on her abdomen with his hand extended to curve onto her waist. His chin rested over her shoulder from behind, his face pressed to her cheek protectively. She was incredibly warm and comfortable in the position, and Damon seemed to still be sleeping soundly. Not wanting to move or wake him, she bent her elbow and rested her arm on top of his, draped over her ribcage. Before going back to sleep, she turned her head slightly and kissed the corner of his mouth. Unconsciously responding to the intimate gesture, he drew his arms around her tighter and nestled his face into her neck.

"Elena…" he sighed, breathing her name in his sleep.

Closing her eyes, Elena leaned further back into his broad, warm, well-muscled chest and let sleep claim her once more, her heart full.

**I apologize for the complete lack of dialogue in this chapter, but I just didn't see where it would fit in, in relation to what I was focusing on. Plus my Characters were all bound to be physically and emotionally exhausted, so I didn't really picture witty banter in the moment. Sorry if it got sappy, but I had to do it. Whoops if it seems like I was rushing into the Delena, but I couldn't keep them apart any longer and the moment seemed appropriate in my mind. Hope you liked all the Delena goodness, and even if you didn't, please **_**please **_**leave a review. I haven't been getting the best response lately so I'm hoping this chapter makes it up to all of you. Let me know what direction you want this to take, or if there's a particular scene you want me to write in, what you want more or less of, etc. The plot will come back more soon. Thanks you guys! Feedback is love**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for the responses! We've passed 100. I'm ecstatic! Thanks for taking the time to read, hope it's worth it! Oh and did you guys see the season 2 premiere footage from Comic Con? If you haven't, stop reading this and go google it. NOW. When I first saw it, I hyperventilated and watched it 10 more times. –SPOILERS- I can't believe Damon is still being a lovesick puppy and going for Katherine again! But his face, when she said she never loved him, oh my god. Heart breaking. I think since she only came back for Stefan, he'll get over her. I HOPE. And Move back on to Elena. I HOPE. Oh please sweet Jesus. –END SPOILERS- Ok enough of my fan girl ramblings. Here we are, lucky number 13!**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own any part of TVD. If I did, Katherine would be with Stefan and Damon would've never loved her in the first place. And Damon wouldn't own a shirt. **

**Chapter 13: Hold My Heart**

_~ Right now I can barely stand_

_If you're everything you say you are_

_Won't you come close and hold my heart? ~_

…

**Previously****: **

…_Elena found herself standing a few feet away from Alaric, who had an expression of something between shock and triumph on his face. Looking down, Elena saw Gabriel crumpled and gray, lying between them with blank, unseeing eyes, a stake protruding from his chest._

…_. Elena pulled her mouth from his, trying to draw breath. She rested her forehead against his, staring into his smoldering blue eyes and breathing his air. Seeing that look in his eyes once again, this time she was able to put a finger on it: love. At that moment, Elena knew she would never kiss another person besides him, Damon Salvatore, for all eternity. _

…"_Elena…" he sighed, breathing her name in his sleep. _

_Closing her eyes, Elena leaned further back into his broad, warm, well-muscled chest and let sleep claim her once more, her heart full. _

…

Elena woke from a blissfully dreamless sleep to the sound of crickets chirping through the trees. She was pretty sure that if she got up and drew back the curtains, they would reveal a starry night sky. Focusing on her surroundings, she noted that Damon was still clutching her to him in his steel embrace. Willing him to wake up, she turned her head and placed a sloppy kiss on his jaw. His mouth twitched, and he drew his arms even tighter to her in reaction. Sighing, she bent her elbow up and caressed his cheek, kissing his temple. Damon shifted and groaned.

"Is that all you got?" He mumbled, his eyes still closed. Elena rolled her eyes. _Same old cocky self. _She lightly slapped his chest, and he let her go. She rolled over and faced him, and his eyes snapped open, adjusting to the light.

"You slept like the dead," she informed him, not aware of the truth in her sentence.

Damon raised his eyebrows. "What else did you expect? I _am _dead. And all that vervain wasn't exactly a pick-me-up, you know."

"I know," she sighed absently, sitting up and drawing the sheets up to stretch them over her chest and tuck them under her armpits, leaving only her back exposed.

Damon stared. Propped up on one elbow, he reached out and ran his index finger down her spine. He felt her shiver under his touch, and he sat up behind her, crossing one leg underneath him. Her shoulders were hunched, and the second he placed his hands on them near the sides of her neck, he felt them drop, the muscles relaxing. He pressed his fingertips lightly across her collar bone, pulling her so that her back hit against his chest; she was practically in his lap. His arms snaked under the sheet, wrapping around her ribcage and holding her to him. Damon dropped his head forward, his lips moving softly at Elena's neck. She folded her arms over his, and he heard her breath catch when he pressed his tongue into the silky skin just below her jaw. This newfound freedom, this openness with her, was addictive. The second she kissed him, she had turned herself over to him. She was his, they both knew that now. And ever since, he couldn't bring himself to stop…_indulging _in her.

She swallowed hard, and he withdrew his mouth from her skin, but did not pull back. Instead, he nuzzled his face into her neck, breathing against the column of her throat.

"You need to go get dressed," he said in a low, sultry voice, his hot lips barely brushing her skin.

"Mm…" she replied, dazed, her eyelids fluttering.

"Upsy daisy." He said in a lighter tone, but making no movement to encourage her to get up. "We have an errand to run."

"Where on earth are you taking me that's open in the middle of the night?" she inquired, thinking a little more clearly.

"Psh, come on. And it's only eight. The place I have in mind stays open for another hour, so if you'll hurry your lazy butt along, we should make it." Damon still didn't move away from her, not sure if he could.

"_My _lazy butt?" she retorted, indignant. "And _where _are we going?"

"Ugh, you ask too many questions, Elena. You'll see when we get there. Now run along," he ordered, but still not really wanting her to get up from his lap. She let out a huff and climbed off the bed, tossing back the covers deliberately. Damon was about to make a snide remark at her stubbornness when he looked down to see her standing in front of him in all of her half-naked glory. He felt his eyes widen as he drank in the sight of her expanse of smooth skin, flowing seamlessly over the lovely curves of her-

Looking down, Elena blushed and snatched up her discarded towel. She furiously wrapped it around her once more and exited the room with as much of her shredded dignity as possible. Once out in the hallway, a smile tugged at her lips as she thought of Damon's awestruck eyes and slack jaw, mouth slightly opened, when she had stood before him. She knew Damon had probably seen dozens of girls in way less than underwear, given his feeding habits, and his uninhibited reaction caught her off guard. And it made her feel…good. Damon had a way of unconsciously making her feel special more than Stefan ever had even when he tried. Eyes dancing, she disappeared into her room in search of something to wear.

…

Damon pulled into the parking lot of a small building bathed in the glow of the streetlights. Elena's eyes roved up to a small, lit sign: _Fell's Jewelers. _Her eyebrows rose.

"Uh, Damon? Why are we at a jeweler's?"

He sighed. "Because. Since you don't want to wear that hand-me-down necklace, I'm getting you a new one and filling it with vervain. You never know what might show up in this death trap of a town, the past few days have proven that."

"Oh." Elena didn't know what else to say as he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her toward the entrance. She was touched by the gesture, even if it was a necessary precaution.

Inside the store, Damon held out an arm and told her "Now go crazy and pick out any locket you want. Money is no object." Her eyes widened, and slightly shell shocked, she stumbled out among the rows of glass counters. There was every type of locket she could have dreamed of, and more. Bronze, gold, silver, diamond, crystal, long chain, short chain, filigree, studded, solid, engraved…she was overwhelmed. Her eyes settled on a golden oval encrusted with tiny rubies, glittering in the golden light. Ruby had always been her favorite gemstone, and she made a motion to ask an assistant to take it out of the case. As she leaned forward, something at the back of the display caught her eye. A small silver heart, engraved on the edges with thin, curling vines and faced front and back with two translucent pale blue crystals, was looking very lonely nestled in its navy velvet cushion. Changing her mind as the assistant made her way to the counter, Elena pointed to the silver heart.

"May I see that one please?"

"Of course," the plump, overly-made up woman replied. "You're actually the first customer to ask about that one." Elena bit her lip, frowning in surprise. She thought it was the most beautiful piece of jewelry in the case. The lady held out the locket to her, and Elena picked it up carefully by its delicate silver chain. As she held it out, it swung back and forth, catching the light and casting rainbows on the walls. The blue crystals were beautiful in the light, and Elena suddenly realized why the necklace appealed to her so much: It was the same color as Damon's eyes when the sunlight hit them.

"I'll take it." She said decidedly, and followed the lady to the cash register. She turned to see Damon standing beside her, eyeing the locket swinging from her fingers. He simply nodded and handed the lady his credit card. He took the necklace from her grasp and stood behind her, putting the chain around her neck.

"Funny, I thought you would've chosen the ruby one. You usually seem to have an inclination toward the color," He remarked, working on the clasp.

"Well, maybe my favorite color's changed. It happens. Besides, I really like this one. It reminds me of…someone." She blushed, and Damon fastened the clasp, letting the chain fall around her neck. As he pulled her hair over it, she felt his fingers brush against her neck, cool and feather-light. Letting out a whoosh of air, she turned to face him. He opened his mouth to ask who that someone was, but decided against it, seeing the blazing look in her eyes. _Stefan. It reminds her of Stefan. How? Never mind that, she wants to buy it because it reminds her of my little brother. Of course. _Damon's heart sank down to somewhere between his toes, but he worked to maintain his mask of cool indifference. Turning to the counter, he finished his transaction and sauntered out of the store, knowing she was following him.

The drive home was deafeningly silent. Elena sensed something was off and spoke up, wanting him to talk to her.

"Thanks for this," she said quietly, her eyes downcast. "It means a lot more than you think."

He nodded curtly, but otherwise gave no response. Elena sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. _What is the deal with him tonight? Maybe he's just thirsty, _she reasoned with herself. Stefan always got cranky if he waited too long to feed. She leaned her head against the window, knowing she wasn't going to get anything else out of him at present. When he pulled up to the boarding house, Damon abruptly switched off the engine and strode into the house, not waiting up for her. Confused, Elena's hand automatically twitched up toward her necklace, stroking the crystal face with her index finger. Crossing her arms, she traipsed into the house. Not able to stand his iciness, she walked straight up to her room, trying to keep her eyes from roaming in search of him. She changed back into her pajamas, a maroon tank top and dark gray shorts, and shuffled down the hall to brush her teeth. She realized she hadn't eaten in a while, but she wasn't hungry. Frustrated, she headed up the narrow stairwell to Damon's bedroom, wanting to talk it out with him, whatever _it _was. His sudden change in behavior didn't sit well with her, and she was going to fix it.

She pushed open his door to find the room empty. The window had been thrown open and there was a slight breeze, but the curtains were too heavy to be affected by it.

"Damon?" she called out tentatively; there was no reply. Crossing over the dark hardwood floor to the open window, she rested her palms on the sill and poked her head out. There he was, sitting on the roof, resting his back against the side of the house in the shadows. He was staring off into the night, his profile melancholy and frightening at the same time. One elbow was propped up on a raised knee, and his other leg sprawled out onto the shingles. Determined, Elena sucked in a breath and stepped up onto the windowsill, bracing herself against the walls.

"Not a very bright move, Elena," he drawled, not looking at her.

"I don't care," she shot back, stepping onto the roof.

"You're just asking for an untimely death, aren't you?" He said dryly, raising an eyebrow. Even so, he got up and nonchalantly walked across the roof, extending a hand to her. She looked over the ledge, remembering she was on the third story of the house. Her kneecaps suddenly liquefied, and she trembled, unable to step forward. Damon rolled his eyes and took another step forward, grabbing her with both hands by the upper arms. He all but carried her over to the corner of the roof, and she sank down next to him, breathing heavily.

"Beautiful view," she murmured, gesturing toward the clear, starry sky.

"I always thought so," he supplied, looking at her and not the sky. Silence fell again, and Elena fingered her locket, now slightly heavier and sweet-smelling. Damon must have filled it with vervain while she was changing. She reached out and stroked his forearm, but he pulled away.

"You know, after all the hell he put you through, I'm shocked you would want to always wear something that reminded you of him. If you changed your mind about it, why didn't you just say something and keep the old one?" He suddenly spoke up, bitterness shading his words. Elena's eyes shifted from side to side, trying to understand what he was getting at. She tilted her head at him, her forehead creasing.

"The necklace. It reminds you of a 'special someone'?" he said coolly, not facing her.

Realization dawned on Elena. "Damon! You can be so thick-skulled sometimes, you know that?" She squinted at him, shaking her head. Damon shot her a look of genuine surprise and confusion. "This locket doesn't remind me of _Stefan, _oh god no. I wish I could wipe him from my memory, for Christ's sake. " Damon opened his mouth, about to explain he could do just that if she wanted him to, but saw that she wasn't finished, and remained silent. She held the necklace away from her so it caught he moonlight. "No. It reminds me of someone else entirely." Damon's mouth clamped shut, humbled. Slightly embarrassed, but dogged to explain, she continued. "The crystals, they're the exact same color as your eyes when the light hits them." Her face burned, and she looked away. He was taken aback, and wasn't sure what to say. All snide remarks had completely fled his brain, and everything at the forefront of his mind would come out entirely too sappy and mushy. He didn't _do _mushy. _God, he was getting soft_. So instead, he pulled her by the waist and set her down to stretch out between his legs, his shoulder her headrest. She closed her eyes, turning her head into him and breathing in his dangerously addictive scent. Her blushing cheek felt like fire against his cool skin, and he suddenly found himself in an uncharacteristically good mood. Clutching her to him in an iron grip, he leaped gracefully from the roof in one swift motion. Elena squealed, squeezing herself against him and beating against his back in protest at the same time; he grinned in spite of himself and landed lightly on his feet. She stumbled out of his arms, shooting him a look of consternation and trying to be angry with him. She took a step forward and wobbled, dizzy from the jump. Damon laughed lightly and scooped her up, carrying her across the back courtyard.

He set her down on the edge of a fountain, one she had never noticed before. It was at least twelve feet deep and thirty feet across, with a cherub in the center that had long ago quit spouting water. Curious, Elena stuck her fingertips into the water; it was a surprisingly pleasant temperature. Damon sat down next to her, watching her splash her fingers across the surface.

"It's nice out here," she admitted, then splashed him with water. He looked down at his dripping shirt in disbelief, but quickly recovered. He smirked at her as she giggled, enjoying her laugh; it sounded like a dove cooing. A malevolent gleam crept into his eyes, and his smirk grew wider.

"Hey Elena?" he said in a low voice, leaning in to her. He heard her heart thump faster, and her breathing grew shallow as he leaned in closer. His lips closed softly around her bottom lip, brushing against it gently before he gave her side a quick nudge, tipping her into the fountain.

She didn't even have time to scream before she hit the water. Swirling about in the dark water beneath the surface, she finally managed to push her way to the wall, kicking off from it and breaking back into the air.

"_Damon!" _She gasped, a furious growl in her voice. He grinned impishly, wiggling his eyebrows at her. She pushed herself out of the water and latched on to his elbow, trying to tug him down with her. He could've easily resisted the faint pull, but he let her drag him down anyways, falling sideways into the fountain. Submerged, he glanced around for her, and spying his target, he reached out and grabbed her ankle. She jerked at the touch and tried to swim away, and he released her only to swim with impressive speed up to her face, planting an impromptu kiss on her surprised lips. He tangled his fingers in her hair, which was waving listlessly around them in the water. Pulling back, he brushed a hand down her cheekbone and wrapped an arm around her waist as he shot them upward, breaking the surface with a great splash. She sucked in a deep breath as he set her above him on the stone ledge of the fountain. Still breathless, she gave him a heartbreaking grin and leaned down, putting one hand on either side of his face, and kissed him. The kiss was slow, and he deepened it, holding on to her hips as he explored her warm mouth with his own. For once in his life, he felt that maybe, just maybe, here in the middle of hell, heaven was within reach.

…

Katherine savored one last drop, then carelessly dropped the drained young pedestrian behind the dumpster with a thud. She looked over to Stefan, who was finishing off a young cashier who had stepped outside for a smoke. Licking her lips, she sauntered over to him, putting on her best pouting face.

"Stefan, I'm bored. Can we take a trip? New York is starting to bore me, and all of these city slickers don't taste the same as the small-towners."

"Where do you want to go?" He asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Oh, I don't know," she said innocently, pretending to deliberate. "How 'bout we go back to that quaint little town of yours? I'm curious about that little doppelganger of mine that I've been hearing so much about. She sounds…tantalizing." A wicked smile stretched across her face, and she pushed herself up against Stefan's chest.

"Damon won't let you touch her," Stefan admonished in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Ah, Damon. Ever the whipped, love struck little boy. Not an ounce of sense in him. I'm smart, I left him while I could." She raised one eyebrow. "So he likes keeping a little pet to remind him of me, does he? That won't end well. We would be doing him a favor, getting her out of the way." She started to walk down the dimly lit alley, beckoning to Stefan. "So, it's settled. Time to go wreak some more havoc on little Mystic Falls and have that pretty little snack of Damon's while we're at it. Are you coming, my dear Mr. Salvatore?"

Stefan had craved Elena ever since the last time he drank from her; he couldn't resist now. He had Katherine, he had human blood. What was there to lose that he would actually miss? Dropping the petite blonde corpse, he jogged to catch up with her.

** Sorry it took me forever to post this! Turns out there was another impromptu road trip that I forgot about, and it took away my writing time. AS you can tell from the last bit of my story, something terrible is about to begin. Stick around to find out? Thank you so much for the reviews, they make me smile like a fool as always. Some of you guys have written stories that me cringe with embarrassment when I go back and read my amateur crap that I spin. You amaze me. Please let me know your thoughts on this little turn of events! Feedback is love. Delena is more. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello Everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the past few chapters because all hell is about to break loose! In the world of the real Vampire Diaries, I'm still reeling from aftershock of Comic Con. Whoa. Baby. Very excited to hear the news that in episode 3 Alaric, Damon, and Elena are going on a road trip for research at Duke. Leave Stefan and Katherine behind in the dust :-D Anywho, I wasn't quite sure what to do with this chapter, as it's a sort of prelude to the main event. Hope it settles well with you all. Oh yeah, and this chapter is rated M? I think. I'm new to this whole process. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Otherwise I would've already been brutally murdered by the misled members of Team Stefan. **

**Chapter 14: Don't Let Go (They're Coming For Us)**

**Previously: **

_Katherine savored one last drop, then carelessly dropped the drained young pedestrian behind the dumpster with a thud. She looked over to Stefan, who was finishing off a young cashier who had stepped outside for a smoke. "So, it's settled. Time to go wreak some more havoc on little Mystic Falls and have that pretty little snack of Damon's while we're at it. Are you coming, my dear Mr. Salvatore?"_

_Stefan had craved Elena ever since the last time he drank from her; he couldn't resist now. He had Katherine, he had human blood. What was there to lose that he would actually miss? Dropping the petite blonde corpse, he jogged to catch up with her._

…

Elena snickered, pulling Damon along behind her through the back door. Leaving him on the landing, she scampered over to the linen closet and grabbed two large towels, wrapping one around her cold, dripping self and tossing the other to Damon. He shook out his hair like a dog and carelessly draped the towel over his shoulders, not making an effort to dry off. He noticed her shiver and scooped her up off her feet and carried her over to the fireplace.

"Damon!" she protested, squirming in his arms. "I can walk, you know!"

"Oh, but this is more fun," he replied in an infuriating tone, sitting down cross-legged on the floor in front of the fire, not letting her go. She gave up and relaxed in his arms, stretching out to welcome the heat. He reached up and twisted her hair around his hand, pulling it over to one side and kissing the back of her neck. Sighing, Elena reached up and fingered her necklace. Damon was driving her into an exquisite insanity, and she wanted to be sure of something before she let things go farther.

"Damon?"

"Mhm?" he replied lightly, running his fingers through the length of her damp hair.

"When you look at me, who do you see?"

There was a dreadfully long pause, and Elena didn't turn to look back at his face. She was beginning to fear his answer, knowing that one word could completely destroy her. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft, yet burning with intensity.

"When I look at you Elena, I see the complete opposite of the woman I was infatuated with in my youth. She lived to break hearts, and you solely for healing them. I wish I'd never met the bitch. But you, I feel like I've known you for my entire existence. You see, Elena…you, you feel like home to me." Damon held her under his gaze, and what she saw in his eyes made hers sting with unshed tears. In his eyes she saw vulnerability and shyness; a lost and lonely boy begging to be accepted, just once. She saw how neglect and rejection had scarred him. His own father took away his love, then shot him in cold blood. He had then been forced into a life he didn't want, so he used it to search for the woman who didn't care about him all along. He spent over a century on her, and it was all wasted. Then she, Elena, had chosen Stefan, his not-so-saintly younger brother, not even bothering to try and understand Damon until now. She had been so wrong, and her heart ached to fix him.

"I love you, Damon." Elena grabbed his hand, looking up at him through burning eyes. His mouth fell open, his face looking slightly stricken. _Love. Loved him. She loved him. _The words rang like an explosion in his ears, filling his mind and his body with warmth dancing through his senses. The confession sent him into a frenzy, one he wasn't sure what to do with. He tried to open his mouth, to tell her that he loved her more than she can ever fathom, that he'd love her for eternity…but he couldn't speak. His mouth opened and closed, too shocked and ecstatic to form words. He leaned toward her, inches from her face. Then she saw what was in his eyes. His eyes spoke more than any words could ever tell. _He loves her too. _His now raging deadbeat heart leaped into his throat, and as soon as his lips grazed hers, the frenzy within him reached a boiling point. He kissed every bare inch of her he could touch: her lips, her neck, her shoulders, her temples, her cheeks, the hand reaching up to his face. One hand supporting her head, the other between her shoulder blades, he carefully lowered her down onto the carpet, his lips not leaving her skin. She gasped and dragged his face up to hers, and he kissed her with an intensity Stefan had never displayed. He ran his fingertips down the insides of her arms, stopping at her wrists and jumping over to roam across her sides and back. She reached up and tangled her fingers in his dark, silky hair, pressing herself even closer up against him. Out of breath, she turned her head away from him, sucking in a lungful of air and licking her lips; they felt tender and swollen. Damon buried his face in her neck, trailing open-mouthed kisses from just beneath her ear to her collarbone. Elena knew where they were taking this, and she didn't even begin to consider stopping it. Taking a deep breath, she wrapped a leg around his waist, bringing herself as close to him as possible. He responded by slipping his gentle hands under her tank top, slowly creeping up and grazing over her ribs until-

"Damn that bastard." Damon ripped his mouth away from her, rolling off and supporting her, making them both stand up. Tripping into his chest and holding tightly, she looked up at him with slightly glazed eyes.

"Damon, what is it?" he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her slightly behind him.

"We have a visitor," he muttered grimly. The heavy front door creaked open, and a dark figure stepped over the threshold and into the room.

"Oh my God," Elena groaned, clutching tightly to Damon's side.

"Brother," Damon all but growled, acknowledging his fallen sibling the same way he had all those months ago, the situation reversed. Elena felt Damon's walls, which she had torn down quite a while ago, immediately build themselves back up, the cold, sneering mask returning to his face.

"I take it I'm interrupting something?" Stefan insinuated lazily.

"As a matter of fact, you are. So if you would be so kind as to get your worthless ass the hell out of here before I do it for you, we'll do you a favor and leave the stakes out of your chest."

Stefan chuckled darkly. "Easy, brother. I just came to deliver a message." Elena noticed that Stefan was wearing all black, a disconcerting look that didn't suit him nearly as well as Damon.

"Ah, but you know my opinion about messengers," Damon reminded him.

Stefan shrugged. "Katherine would like you two to know that she's looking forward to meeting Elena and catching up with you, Damon. She's out getting us a drink right now and couldn't come to tell you herself." Elena's jaw dropped.

"The hell she is," Damon fired back. "I wouldn't let that bitch so much as look at Elena if my life depended on it."

"Maybe it does," Stefan remarked coolly. "Katherine always gets what she wants. And, as you very well know, there's nothing to stop her from getting in."

"Just leave Stefan, please. Go." Elena said in a faint but determined voice from behind Stefan.

Stefan turned his attention to her. "So you're screwing Damon now, are you? Settled for second best?"

"He's better than you ever were, or ever will be from the looks of it. Damon looks at me and actually sees _me_, which is far more than you ever did." Elena spat venomously.

Stefan's eyes flashed. "Yeah, and you were a pretty spineless replacement while it lasted. Hey, but you were almost as good as her in bed."

At that, something inside Damon snapped, and he flew at Stefan before Elena could see what happened. There was a crash, and Elena saw Damon shove Stefan into the wall.

"Don't you _ever _come in here and talk like that to Elena again, do you hear me? I _will rip _your head off, brother or not. Are we clear?" Damon's voice came from somewhere deep in his throat, sounding guttural and strangled with fury. Even so, Elena wasn't scared of him; she was scared for his well being. Stefan was obviously still on human blood, and a lot of it.

"Crystal," Stefan sneered, and pushed Damon backward, sending him sailing across the room and smashing into the wood paneling, which splintered underneath his weight. Damon fell to the floor, his face distorted in pain. Stefan dusted off his hands and strode out the door, without as much as a backward glance. As the door slammed, Elena ran across the room, kneeling over Damon. She put her hands on either side of his face and traced over his bottom lip with her thumb.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she kept repeating, distraught at seeing him hurt. He was Damon; Damon didn't get hurt. It wasn't something she was used to seeing.

"Don't apologize, Elena. It's not your fault." He said with some difficulty. He slowly got up, his hands pushing against his knees, and she rose with him. With a wince and a low groan of pain, he unbuttoned his shirt and threw it over the couch, a few wood splinters scattering from it as he did so. Elena stepped around him to look at his back. She gasped upon seeing several shards of wood splintering out from his left shoulder, embedded just under the skin.

"Oh my God, Damon! Your shoulder!" She said, motioning frantically.

"It's nothing," he mumbled, clearly hurting.

"It's not nothing! They won't heal if the wood is still in your skin! Let me help you, I'll be right back." She darted up the stairs before he could protest. After rummaging through the bathroom, she returned with tweezers, antiseptic, and cotton balls, setting them down on the coffee table and plopping down in the middle of the couch. She motioned to him. "Lie down."

"I'm fine, really." He replied.

"Ok, fine. Be that way. Will you just do it for me? It would give me peace of mind." She patted the cushion next to her.

"Alright. For you." He grudgingly walked over and made a show of lying on his stomach, his chest in her lap. He folded his arms and rested his head on them, absent-mindedly tracing patterns on the side of her thigh with his fingertips.

"This might hurt a bit," she admonished, reaching for the tweezers.

"I'm a tough guy Elena. I can take it." He rolled his eyes.

"If you say so," She said, humoring him. She then firmly grabbed a splinter between the tweezers and carefully but quickly pulled it from the skin. Damon's fingers froze against her leg, no longer tracing patterns, but otherwise he gave no reaction. She made quick work of it, methodically removing the small pieces of wood from his shoulder as painlessly as possible. She was better at this than she thought, or Damon had tremendous restraint, because he made no sound and didn't flinch a single time; Elena guessed it was the latter. She dabbed at the wounds with antiseptic, satisfied only when she saw the skin start to close over of its own accord. Setting aside the cotton balls, she bent down and kissed the uninjured part of his shoulder, giving his bare back a brief rub before letting him up.

"Thank you," he whispered, putting his shirt back on and kissing her lightly on the lips. He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of o-negative, savoring the taste slowly.

"Ah." He hissed, licking his lips. "Feeling back to normal already." Elena shook her head, smiling, and crossed over to the fridge to grab a container of leftover chicken alfredo, microwaving it and wolfing it down. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she tried to think of the last time she'd eaten. She tugged at the hem of her tank top and realized it was still wet. After washing and putting away her dishes, she backed out of the kitchen.

"I'm gonna go put on something dry," she said pointedly at him. She clambered up the stairs and was about to put on a t-shirt and pajama pants until something crossed her mind. _If Katherine's back, that means all hell's about to break loose, _she pondered, pausing in front of her dresser. _And Damon and I won't have many more nights to relax and stay in together. _Making up her mind, she put on a lacy cream-colored bra and matching panties, throwing an oversized tee over them. She walked down the hall and carefully brushed her teeth and combed through her now-dry hair. Her mind lingered on what was to come, and she was flushed when she ran into Damon right outside the bathroom door.

"Well you seem rather flustered," he smirked, looking down at her. "What, brushing your pearly whites got you all worked up?" Elena shook her head and looked up at him, determined to meet his eyes.

"I…I was just thinking…since _they _are back, we probably won't have much time to just relax and be alone together, and I was just t-thinking that maybe we could…um…" Not sure of what else to say, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with every fiber of her being, tingling with anticipation. It clicked it Damon's head, and he drew back, a serious expression gracing his features.

"You're sure about this? I don't want you to regret anything you do with me."

"I could never regret this with you, Damon. I love you." As soon as the words escaped from her lips, Damon threw himself into it with reckless abandon, hoisting her up into his arms and kissing her all the way up the stairs. In his room, he backed her up against the door, bracketing her in and kissing her with a hunger that seemed insatiable. She fumbled with her shirt and tossed it over her head, and he admired her lovely skin before devouring it, kissing a hungry trail from her collar bone to down below her navel. He curled one arm around her waist, kissing her fiercely and holding her to him as he unclasped her bra. Dropping the lacy garment at their feet, he put his hands at her waist and dipped his head down, closing his mouth over her breast and exhaling a hot breath before flicking his tongue over her soft skin. She moaned softly, tugging at his shirt. He pulled it over his head in one motion and pulled her into him, skin against skin. She hoisted her legs around his waist, and he carried her over to the bed, carefully laying her on her back against the soft sheets. Kissing her stomach, he gently tugged her underwear down and off before shedding his own pants and boxer briefs. He ran his fingertips lightly over her hipbones and down, teasing her. She writhed, and he ended her agony, making the sweetest love he'd ever made to a woman until dawn.

Lying next to her and watching her sleep, he promised to himself that this wouldn't be the last time, no matter what was to come. Nothing but trouble and terror was in store for them; he knew Katherine, and he knew she would do whatever pleased her, stopping at nothing. He kissed Elena's shoulder, his lips brushing her skin softly and lightly as the touch of a feather. He closed his eyes, trying desperately to chase away a certain ominous verse by The Bard that haunted his mind.

~_ For these violent delights have violent ends~_

** Thanks for reading! Yes I know Stefan is OOC but he has to be for this to work. Plus he's all hyped up by human blood and Katherine. Please let me know your feelings toward this chapter, or FanFic in general, by leaving me a beautiful thing called a review. I appreciate them so much! You guys are the best. Let me know if I did alright (on the romantic scenes) as I'm kinda new to the whole writing business. Love you! 43 more days til Season 2! Feedback is Love**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! Terribly sorry it took me so long to update, I meant to post this past weekend but time got away from me. Thanks for all of the lovely reviews :) This story has been a delight for me to create. It should be winding up soon, I'm thinking around four or five more chapters at the most. But for those of you who think you can put up with me for a little longer, a new Delena FanFic has been brewing in my head for the past few days and is spiraling out of control by the minute. I'll probably post it when I finish this story, or possibly sooner, but no promises because my schedule is becoming increasingly full. Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!**

**Chapter 15: The Ticking Clock**

**Previously: **

_ "Brother," Damon all but growled, acknowledging his fallen sibling the same way he had all those months ago, the situation reversed. Elena felt Damon's walls, which she had torn down quite a while ago, immediately build themselves back up, the cold, sneering mask returning to his face. _

_Stefan shrugged. "Katherine would like you two to know that she's looking forward to meeting Elena and catching up with you, Damon. She's out getting us a drink right now and couldn't come to tell you herself." Elena's jaw dropped. _

_ "The hell she is," Damon fired back. "I wouldn't let that bitch so much as look at Elena if my life depended on it."_

_ "Maybe it does," Stefan remarked coolly. "Katherine always gets what she wants. And, as you very well know, there's nothing to stop her from getting in."_

… _Lying next to her and watching her sleep, Damon promised to himself that this wouldn't be the last time, no matter what was to come. Nothing but trouble and terror was in store for them; he knew Katherine, and he knew she would do whatever pleased her, stopping at nothing._

…...

Elena stretched and sighed, squinting at the morning light seeping in between the cracks of the curtains. She smiled and rolled over to see Damon lying on his side, his lovely eyes gazing at her through his thick fringe of black lashes. Inclining her head toward his on the pillow, she shot him a crooked grin and whispered "Good morning."

"Mhm," he agreed softly, reaching his hand out to push her hair back from her face. Elena flashed back to last night; Damon really had a knack when it came to balancing sensuality and wild passion when he was with a woman. Quite frankly, he was the best she'd ever had; so good that she felt she'd never be the same. Not that she was going to admit it, the last thing Damon was an ego boost. Still, she couldn't keep her mind from lingering on how his powerful hands had turned so gentle when he caressed her…

"I can tell what you're thinking about," Damon said in a smug tone, raising his eyebrows at her. Elena blushed.

"No you can't! It's not like you're Ed-"

"Don't even say it," Damon groaned. "And you better thank God I don't sparkle. You'd be embarrassed to be seen in public with me that way. Hell, I'd be embarrassed to be seen with me in public if I looked like that in the light of day."

"Still, you're just full of yourself. There's no way you can tell what I'm thinking," _thank goodness_, she added silently.

"Oh yeah? Well then, what are you thinking now?" Damon said smoothly, leaning his face so close to her that if she spoke, their lips would touch. His fingers inched their way up her ribcage, nearing dangerous territory. Elena's breath caught in her throat; she was beginning to feel dizzy. Knowing she was losing control of the situation quickly, she inched her face a fraction closer to his and spoke.

"I'm thinking I'm gonna go take a shower now," She said wickedly, her lips grazing his. She smirked and threw back the covers, leaping off the bed. "And no, you can't come with me."

Damon groaned, collapsing face forward back into the pillow. "Have mercy, Elena," Damon complained exasperatedly, his voice muffled by the pillow. He turned his head slightly, one eye peering up at her. She was pulling back on her underwear and t shirt, unaware that he was watching her.

"I won't be long," she assured him, tossing her hair over her shoulder and opening the door to leave the room. When he heard the door shut, he rolled over and sighed, grinning to himself. _I'm not going to let my brother and that psycho bitch ruin my time with Elena, _he resolved to himself. _They can just shove it. _Damon heard the water turn on downstairs in the bathroom, and he got up and crossed over to his walk-in closet, grabbing his standard ensemble of black-on-black and changing into a fresh outfit. He dragged a comb across his head, and deeming himself presentable (_then again, when did he ever not look good?_) he settled into his desk chair and picked up a book to read while waiting on Elena.

Half an hour passed, and Damon began to fidget. _Girls, _he scorned, shaking his head to himself. At the 45 minute mark, Damon was fed up. Dropping his book, he sauntered down the stairs to find out what was taking her so freakin' long. As he walked down the hallway, he noticed that the bathroom door was open. Was Elena just being coy when she told him she wanted to shower alone? Maybe she expected otherwise; he could still hear the water running. More than willing to oblige her, Damon turned the corner into the bathroom confidently, a smirk on his face. It immediately fell when he found the bathroom empty, the shower left running and abandoned. No clothes were lying on the floor, and Elena's toothbrush lay next to the sink, everything perfectly in order; there were no signs of a struggle. But wait; there was a tiny smear of blood on the edge of the medicine cabinet. It was Elena's, the scent was undeniable. Damon's mind flooded with rage, but the violent emotion was almost immediately replaced with an overwhelming sense of worry and fear. Fear that was eating away at him like a cancer. Pushing through his thoughts, Damon sped down the stairs faster than a bolt of lightning, stopping only to grab a vervain dart and a couple of stakes. Stuffing them into his pockets, he shot out the door and was greeted by a darkening sky, clouds gathering more thickly by the second.

…...

Elena woke up to a throbbing pain in her temple. Gingerly, she put two fingers to her head, and pulled them away to see them covered in hot, sticky blood. She wiped her hand on her oversized t shirt, the only thing she was wearing. Blinking, she looked around, trying to gather her bearings. It appeared that she was in a basement of some kind, and a large one at that. The uncovered walls were made of stone, and there was a single window at the opposite end of the room. Dim fluorescent bulbs hung from the ceiling, revealing a narrow stairwell in the far corner. Elena bent her knees and began to stand, only to fall back down with a jerk; her wrist was bound to the wall by a heavy-duty rope.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" A cool, detached voice questioned from behind her. "You can't possibly have anywhere important to be." Elena's eyes widened. The voice was nearly identical to her own, if she had happened to speak without ever inflecting emotion into her words. Realizing what had hit her, Elena turned slowly on the spot, knowing who she would find there.

"Katherine." It came out as more of a statement; there was really no question in the matter. Nevertheless, the sight of her doppelganger still caught Elena off guard. The resemblance was uncanny.

"Well spotted," the vampire condescended, curling her pretty upper lip. "As you can see, I was too selfish to wait and make a proper visit. Besides, Damon would've only gotten in the way. It's a dreadful tendency of his."

Elena was fuming. "You have no right to talk about Damon like that! You're the one who ruined him! I'm sure every redeemable quality he possesses is entirely his own; you never did anything commendable to him. You and Stefan deserve each other," she spat, surprised at her own foolish outburst.

Katherine's eyes flashed, but her face remained calm. "Be careful. You don't want to give me a reason to kill you right off." She licked her lips. "And as for Stefan, if I'm not mistaken, you fell for his charms as well, and before the elder Salvatore, I might add."

"I was blind to his true self up until a few weeks ago. But let me tell you, I find him utterly repulsive now that I really know what his intentions were." Elena glowered, as if staring at Katherine hard enough would finish her. Who was she kidding? She wasn't Bonnie, and she had a feeling she wouldn't be seeing that particular witch any time soon.

Katherine giggled impishly. "Of course Stefan would try to find a stand in for me." She snorted delicately. "But we all know that you most certainly _not _me."

"Thank God," Elena muttered disdainfully.

Katherine studied Elena thoughtfully. "You know, all of this arguing is really working up my appetite. How convenient you are." Katherine leaned back toward the stairwell, raising her voice only slightly. "Stefan! Come join me, my dear Mr. Salvatore!" Stefan appeared at their side in an instant, his gaze immediately training upon Elena's bleeding head wound. _Well, at least they can't compel me, _Elena reminded herself bitterly, fingering Damon's locket.

"Now, what are we going to do with you?" Katherine reached for Elena's forearm, grasping it a little too hard. There was a cracking noise, and Katherine felt a bone snap under her fingers. Elena yelled in pain. "Oops," Katherine whispered, her lips curling into an amused smirk. Elena's breathing became labored with pain, a small whimper escaping her lips. "Let's see, you don't really need this," Katherine reasoned, ripping away Elena's shirt and leaving her in only her bra and underwear, adding humiliation to her pain. Stefan moved in slightly, wrinkling his nose.

"Dear God, she reeks of my brother. Disgusting," Stefan observed, his voice thick with mockery, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust. Elena's eyes filled with hot tears as she tried to cover herself with her uninjured arm, feeling terribly vulnerable. As much as she longed for him, Elena prayed that Damon wouldn't find her, knowing he couldn't win this fight, especially since Katherine was older than him. She felt blood trickle from her head down the side of her face, but found herself unable to wipe it away. Stefan's eyes followed the droplet, and his eyes darkened as he reached up and wiped it away with his forefinger. He brought it up to his face, inhaling the scent before sucking the hot liquid from his finger. Her blood triggered something in him, and his eyes darkened even further as he lunged at Elena's delicate neck, ripping at the silky skin with his fangs. Her screams echoed through the room, and Elena faintly heard Katherine warn Stefan.

"Be sure and save some for me," Katherine drawled, rolling her eyes. "Men. Absolutely no self-restraint." An image of Damon's perfect face, looking at her from across the pillow with the most beautiful eyes in the world, seared through her mind, burning behind her eyes right before she was consumed by the darkness.

…

**Sorry that was so short! I have really big plans for next chapter though, it should definitely be longer. Please leave a review, they mean so much. Comments, criticisms, suggestions, anything. Too monotonous? Predictable? Dry? Let me know pretty please :) Wow I really need to quit writing so late. Feedback = Love. 38 more days til Season 2! Funny, it's also my birthday, but I don't even think of it as my birthday. Just as the Vampire Diaries premiere. Also, any interest in the potential new Delena Fic? Brutal honesty is welcome. I love you all so much! Over and Out. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello my fellow TVD devotees! First off, thank you so much to all of you who reviewed, subscribed, or favorited. It really makes my day! I hope this chapter works for all of you. Secondly, we're just over a month away from Season 2 Premiere: The Return. I'm dying. I wish I could just fast forward to September 9****th**** already! The wait is cruel and unusual punishment, I swear. I'm writing this chapter pretty late, so I'm apologizing in advance for any mistakes you come across. Here we go! **

**Disclaimer: No, I still don't own The Vampire Diaries. I'm merely a slave to an addiction. **

**Chapter 16: Make It Better **

**Previously: **

_ Damon found the bathroom empty, the shower left running and abandoned. He sped down the stairs faster than a bolt of lightning, stopping only to grab a vervain dart and a couple of stakes. Stuffing them into his pockets, he shot out the door and was greeted by a darkening sky, clouds gathering more thickly by the second._

…_Elena felt blood trickle from her head down the side of her face, but found herself unable to wipe it away. Stefan's eyes followed the droplet, and his eyes darkened as he reached up and wiped it away with his forefinger. He brought it up to his face, inhaling the scent before sucking the hot liquid from his finger. Her blood triggered something in him, and his eyes darkened even further as he lunged at Elena's delicate neck, ripping at the silky skin with his fangs._

…

Damon tore through the foliage at breakneck speed, heading for the abandoned tomb. Maybe Katherine was aiming for a terrifying setting, or wanted to lock Elena up. His chest tightened at the thought of Katherine touching Elena, and he pushed himself to go faster. As he ran, the image of Elena speaking to him so sweetly in her kitchen flashed across his eyes, and her voice rang in his ears: _"I'm sorry. About Katherine…you lost her too." _Damon clenched his fists. Now, because of Katherine, he was losing Elena. He'd be damned if he didn't stop Katherine and kill her while he was at it. His thoughts in another place, he nearly slammed into the cold stone wall of the tomb. Coming to an abrupt halt, he focused on his super-hearing, listening for a heartbeat. He heard none. _Oh God, that means either she's not here or…_Damon couldn't finish the thought. Jogging into the recently emptied crypt, he took a quick peek around and quickly discovered that no one was there. Turning around, he shot out and back into the woods, kicking up dust behind him. He sped into town, checking the alleyways and dark, unpopulated corners where creatures of the night could be lurking. In passing, he saw a man look up at the darkening sky, grimace, and reach back to pull the top over his convertible. Damon's mind snapped back to when Elena had persuaded him to put the top down on his vintage Chevy, and how she had delighted in the small gesture. _"You're not the worst company in the world, you know," _she had told him then, throwing his own words in his face in the best possible way. Damon closed his eyes, rubbing his face and sighing. _Where were they? _An old trick of his suddenly popping into mind, he changed directions and headed to the outer edge of town.

…

Damon kept an eye out for the houses that had foreclosure signs on the front doors, and headed toward the most expensive-looking one. As he neared the front door, he was able to detect a feeble and inconsistent but nevertheless beating human heart, and he bolted into the house as silently as he could manage. Absolutely no plan had formulated in his head for the first time in ages; his mind was too clouded with fear for Elena to concentrate on anything else. He would have to wing it. Honing in on the faint heartbeat, he crept his way over to what he assumed was a door to the basement; he guessed correctly. The dank underground room smelled of mold and rainwater, but Damon didn't notice. All he could smell was blood being spilt. Elena's blood. Summoning all the restraint he could muster, Damon calmly walked down the stairs. He knew he had to play it cool, or Elena would die before he could blink.

"Having a party without me, are you? Tsk tsk." Damon waggled a finger at the other two vampires, working to keep a disapproving yet bored expression across his features. The façade fell when his eyes reached Elena. She was hanging limply from Katherine's grasp, clad in only her underwear and drenched in her own blood. She had obviously passed out quite some time ago, and was alarmingly pale. Damon's stomach turned over, and he resisted the impulse to dry heave with great difficulty. He had to act fast.

"Damon Salvatore, is that really you?" Katherine turned to face him, her mouth smeared with blood and twisting up into a sinister smile. "My, my. I see you haven't changed a bit."

"What else did you expect?" Damon replied calmly, forcing himself to keep it light. Her smile widening, she dropped Elena carelessly to the concrete floor, her head making contact with a sickening thud. Damon's jaw flexed as he attempted to keep his animosity from reaching his eyes. Katherine sauntered over to him, swaying her hips and stopping inches from his broad chest.

"Aren't you happy to finally see me, Damon?" She whispered coyly, tracing a fingernail down the middle of his chest. "After all these years? I knew you were looking for me," she reminded him with a devilish grin. "Say you're happy to see me," she commanded in a breathy voice. Damon leaned forward, his eyes widening as they came into contact with hers. His lips parted slightly, and he raised his eyebrows, about to speak. Then, so fast the movement wasn't visible, he whipped out a stake from inside his jacket and jammed it into her chest. She sucked her breath in with surprise before her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed, her skin turning gray and veined.

"Pleased as punch," Damon informed her glibly, stepping over her corpse toward Elena, panic setting in. He was so focused on the girl lying across the room from him he never saw his brother fly at him from the side. He slammed into the concrete wall and was held there by a livid Stefan.

"HOW COULD YOU KILL HER? HOW? SHE CREATED US! AND WE LOVE HER! JUST BECAUSE SHE FINALLY CHOSE ME-"

Stefan broke off abruptly; Damon had stabbed him in the side with a vervain dart. As his brother began to lose consciousness, Damon's eyes were filled with pity, possibly even remorse, and sadness.

"She didn't love you, Stefan. Her humanity was entirely absent. She couldn't love anyone but herself." Damon spoke in a soft voice, completely devoid of mockery. His brother blinked at him twice before finally passing out, succumbing to the drug. Damon was at Elena's side in an instant, panic and fear exploding through his head.

"Elena. Elena honey, can you hear me?" Damon closed his fingers around her wrist, barely catching on to her sluggish ghost of a pulse. His hand trailed up her arm, feeling a splintered bone jutting awkwardly under her skin. Biting his lip, he pressed his palm against her cheek, brushing her soft skin and fighting back against the bloodlust that was struggling to control his thoughts. "Wake up, Elena. Please wake up. For me." She made no movement. Damon's skin was crawling. He scooped her up and laid her in his lap, supporting her head with his arm. Her limbs lolled around limply, a dead weight in his arms. "Come on Elena," Damon nearly begged, panic rising in his voice. He swiftly bit into his wrist and held it to her slightly parted lips, trying to force his blood down her throat. She made no movement to suck it down. Damon pressed his wrist down harder against her mouth, to no avail. He squeezed his eyes shut. "Elena, come back! You can't…you can't leave me now…" His voice faltered, catching against a lump in his throat. He felt a burning sensation in the back of his eyes, and he blinked rapidly, willing himself not to give in to the feeling. Nevertheless, he felt hot liquid brimming against his lower eyelids as he spoke to her one last time, cursing himself for waiting too late: "I love you, Elena."

He was so devastated, he nearly missed the motion. Elena's eyelids twitched, then fluttered halfway open. Her glassy eyes slowly roving around in search of his, she found her target and opened her mouth in an effort to speak.

"I know, Damon." He voice came out so faint, it would've been inaudible to a human ear. At the sound of her voice, Damon's undead heart felt as if it could leap madly from his chest. Breathing heavily, his eyes clouded with a myriad of emotions, he kissed her forehead, holding her as if she were glass. Elena mustered up her remaining strength to speak once again before lapsing back into unconsciousness. "I love you too."

Shaking his elation from his head, Damon tried to think clearly. He knew he didn't have much time, and she was too drained for his blood to do her any good. Taking off his jacket and wrapping it around her half-naked body to save her from embarrassment later, he hoisted her up into his arms with more care than he had ever taken with anyone. Without giving a second thought to the corpse and his brother lying on the floor, he got up and ran her into town, taking painstakingly careful measures to not jostle her in the slightest. As he neared the hospital, he slowed to a brisk, determined walk and strode into the ER, still clutching her against his chest. In his peripheral vision, he noticed a spiky blond head bobbing in conversation with someone in the lobby. It registered in the back of his mind that it was Sheriff Forbes, but he didn't acknowledge it until he heard the gasp that she gave upon seeing a mauled Elena in his arms. He didn't slow his walk, and she hustled to catch up with him.

"Damon! What happened? Please don't say it was another…" She trailed off. He avoided her gaze and kept walking; she took his silence as a confirmation.

"Another vampire?" She whispered, her voice laced with shock. "Oh, Elena!" The sheriff's hands trembled as they swung at her sides.

"I staked it," Damon informed her darkly. "But the damage has been done." He approached the desk, and the nurse's eyes widened in horror.

"We need immediate medical attention for this girl. There's been another animal attack." Damon's voice came out icy, and no compulsion was necessary as the short young nurse rushed off, returning almost immediately with more staff and a gurney. Damon lowered her gently onto the gurney, and the people in scrubs swiftly began hooking her up to various machines, racing her down the hallway. Damon followed, stepping in hurriedly to stay at her side. They eventually wheeled her into a room, transferring her to a hospital bed and hooking her to an IV. Damon was forced to remain in the doorway, feeling helpless as he watched. He turned his head away as they began a blood transfusion, not able to look. A few seconds later, a doctor approached him with a serious air.

"She's lost a great deal of blood, but we think we'll be able to stabilize her with another transfusion." The doctor fell silent at Damon's stricken expression, but recovered in good time. "Do you mind telling me what happened?"

Damon drew a deep breath. "I was going for a walk when I heard the scream. I ran in the direction it came from, and found her lying at the edge of the woods. Apparently she was attacked by an animal; a cougar or something of the sort. She was in pretty bad shape, and I was without my car, so I carried her in." Damon tilted his head, the lies rolling off his tongue with ease.

"The doctor inclined his head. "Sounds like you're a hero."

"Hardly." Damon muttered bitterly.

"Do you know the girl's name?" The doctor inquired hopefully.

"Elena. Elena Gilbert."

"Gilbert? Good heavens. Would she happen to be related to the late Grayson Gilbert?" The doctor grimaced at the name.

"His daughter." Damon didn't bother to mention that she was adopted.

The doctor slowly shook his head. "That's a shame. She's been through enough already. I knew Dr. Gilbert. We were friends in med school. I transferred to this hospital to take his place after he…after the accident." Damon nodded, not feeling the particular need to give a reply. The doctor clasped his hands together.

"Well, if you need anything at all, feel free to ask for me. Dr. Gregory." He gave a friendly nod and continued down the hall.

Damon grimaced. The entire hospital reeked of blood. If was going to stay with Elena, he needed to feed. Now. He turned down the corridor where he knew they stored blood donations and compelled the nurse monitoring the room. He drank his fill and quickly returned to Elena's room, which was now empty save the lone patient.

He stepped through the door and shut it behind him, then slowly walked to the bedside. Her hair fanned out around her head on the pillow, and her face, even in sleep, appeared worn and weary. Damon buried his head in his hands, letting the slow beep of the heart monitor fill his ears as he wondered why he had been so _stupid _and let her out of his sight for a single second. Sighing, he reached for her hand and raised it slightly, turning it palm up and pressing his lips to her soft skin. His head remained bent over her, and on impulse, he slowly and deliberately climbed into the hospital bed with her, kicking off his shoes and lying at her side. He rested his head against her shoulder and lightly splayed an arm over the blanket covering her midsection. Turning his head slightly, he whispered into her jaw.

"I'm so sorry." The words were foreign to him, and they should've felt strange in his mouth, but when directed at her, they felt like the only thing that could've been said. Brushing his lips under her ear, he spoke again.

"I'll make it better, Elena. I promise I'll make it better." She whimpered in her sleep, then sighed, and he curled as close to her as he felt was safe. He eventually fell into a restless sleep, never leaving her side.

…...

**Oh my goodness. That got a little schmaltzy, I'm afraid. Terribly sorry about that, I had trouble turning my thoughts into words in this chapter. Hey, but at least Damon saved the day? Let me know your thoughts and please please review! Just say the word and I'll do my best to not get so sappy on you all next time, I swear. Thanks for taking the time to read! Feedback is love. **


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm back! First off, I want to apologize profusely for my long absence. The deadlines just kept piling up higher and higher and I got overwhelmed. I never had longer than 20 minutes at a time to write, plus my muse had a minor power outage earlier. I think it's back now :) Secondly, I want to thank you and give all of you a big virtual hug for the tremendous response the last chapter received! It made me so happy. Review alerts really brighten my day, especially this past week (it was quite a downer week). On the bright side, some new episode stills and a handful of brief promos have been released for the season premiere! I was incredibly excited. 26 more days! My anticipation level can hardly get any higher. Let's just pray we get a little Delena thrown in there on September 9****th****! Love you all, hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own any part of TVD. Trust me, if I did, you would've heard about the hostile takeover already. **

**Chapter 17: Aftershock**

**Previously: **

_ …The façade fell when Damon's eyes reached Elena. She was hanging limply from Katherine's grasp, clad in only her underwear and drenched in her own blood. She had obviously passed out quite some time ago, and was alarmingly pale. Damon's stomach turned over, and he resisted the impulse to dry heave with great difficulty. He had to act fast. _

_ …"Say you're happy to see me," Katherine commanded in a breathy voice. Damon leaned forward, his eyes widening as they came into contact with hers. His lips parted slightly, and he raised his eyebrows, about to speak. Then, so fast the movement wasn't visible, he whipped out a stake from inside his jacket and jammed it into her chest. She sucked her breath in with surprise before her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed, her skin turning gray and veined. "Pleased as punch," Damon informed her glibly._

_ …"I'll make it better, Elena. I promise I'll make it better." She whimpered in her sleep, then sighed, and he curled as close to her in the hospital bed as he felt was safe. He fell into a restless sleep, never leaving her side. _

…

Elena's eyes rolled and flickered open to a darkened hospital room, completely silent save the heart monitor. A dull ache pulsed through her body, and she didn't make an effort to move in her half-conscious state. Suddenly aware of dead weight on her shoulder, she shifted her eyes downward. A dark, slightly mussed head came into view, and she could feel soft breaths dance across her collarbone. Damon's arm was stretched protectively over her stomach, his hand curving gently around her waist. Relief slowly pooled in her mind. She was going to be ok, and Damon was right there by her side. That was all that mattered. Comforted, Elena drifted back off into a deep, peaceful sleep.

…

Several hours later, Elena woke again to the same hospital room, though now sunlight streamed faintly through the blinds on the windows. Feeling alert and acutely aware of her surroundings, Elena lifted her right arm to find it bound in a bulky purple cast. _Great. _She looked to her left to see Damon still asleep; he had moved from her side to a chair drawn near the head of her hospital bed. His arms were folded against the side of the bed near her pillow, and his face was buried in the folds of the black sleeves of his shirt. A smile ghosted across her lips, and she tried to lift her head and bend to kiss him, but found herself too weak. Frustrated, she noticed something foreign in the back of her good hand. An IV needle. She hated needles; they only reminded her of the countless hours she had spent in the hospital when her parents died. She stiffly moved her broken arm toward the IV, trying to pull it out. Out of nowhere, a cool hand gently grasped her fingers, stopping them from yanking on the needle.

"You still need that." Damon's voice was thick with sleep, and he had barely finished speaking when a powerful yawn escaped his mouth, followed by a faint guttural noise.

"You still need sleep," Elena remarked, studying the dark shadows in his face.

"I'm not the one who just got the life nearly sucked out of me," Damon replied bitingly, yet they both knew that his anger was directed at himself. Even so, Elena shrank back against the pillow. She had gotten used to Damon's softer side when he was around her, and apparently this last fiasco had set him on edge. She bit her lip, holding back her anxiety.

Damon hung his head, shrugging. "I should've been there, Elena."

"There is no way," Elena gritted her teeth as she spoke, "That you could've known they would come back so soon. It's not your fault, Damon, and don't you dare blame yourself!" He finally brought his eyes up to meet hers, the shocking blue clouded with guilt and self-loathing. "And if you start brooding like Stefan, I'll dump you on your ass." Elena finished softly, but with conviction. But deep down, she knew she was too far gone to ever leave him, no matter what the reason.

Damon couldn't fight the tiny grin that rose to his lips at her last threat.

"I wouldn't dare risk being like Stefan and having to face your wrath," Damon reassured her, wiggling his eyebrows. "Plus, there's no way I could live with myself that way." Elena smirked.

"I would slap you right now, but lucky for you I can't." Elena huffed. Damon's face immediately fell.

"Not lucky. I would much rather you be slapping me right now."

"Please don't start talking that way, Damon. I _am _lucky. You're here," Elena stated simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Damon bit the inside of his cheek, keeping his gaze down. He was exhausted, but he'd be damned if he let his emotions get the better of him right now. He brushed his fingers lightly up and down her arm, and Elena closed her eyes and relaxed into the pillow at the soothing gesture. His fingers trailed to a stop at her inner elbow, and he opened his mouth to speak.

"You smell funny," He observed, his brow furrowing in disapproval. Elena's eyes snapped open.

"Excuse me? It's not like I ever got the chance to take that shower I was headed off to!" Damon grimaced at her words, and Elena immediately changed directions. "As soon as I get out of here I promise I'll clean up."

Damon shook his head. "No, not like that." Elena raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Your blood smells off. They gave you several transfusions to replace all the blood you lost. I don't like it." Elena was moved by the possessive way he spoke. "Will that last long?" She inquired, her mind lingering around the idea of a blood exchange, which seemed more and more appealing every day.

"No, it should be back to normal in a week or two." Elena sighed. Her eyes softening, she struggled to curl her fingers into his. He obliged, lacing his fingers carefully to intertwine with hers.

"You, I'll never be able to thank you enough for everything you've done…for me."

Damon's face twisted, and he inclined his head toward her. "You don't ever need to thank me for anything, Elena." They exchanged a long look, and she nodded. Squinting, Damon turned his ear toward the door. "I can hear Jenna and Jeremy coming back."

Elena's eyes widened. "They were here earlier? When? Are they alright?"

Damon shook his head, marveling at her concern for her _family's _welfare when she was the one who had nearly died less than 24 hours ago. "They're just a little shaken up. When Jenna got the news, she was sort of…in shock for a while, but she's been better ever since they said you'd pull through. Some of your other friends came by this morning, but the nurses told them only family was allowed to visit for now, so they're coming to see you when you get home."

Elena cocked her head. "But if only family is allowed in right now, then how are you…?" Damon lifted an eyebrow. "Whatever. I don't want to know." Damon rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, then leaned forward, pressing a light, lingering kiss on her mouth.

"I need to go take care of some things. Jenna and Jeremy should keep you company for awhile. You'll be fine without me for a little bit, won't you?" She nodded reluctantly. He kissed her again, this time brushing his lips along her cheekbone. "I won't be long." As he rose to go, Jenna burst through the door, followed by Jeremy.

"Elena, baby, you're awake! Are you feeling all right? Of course you're not, poor thing! We came this morning, but you were asleep and D-…_he _was here, and we were told to come back early this afternoon. I can't believe there was _another _animal attack! I thought that was over! Someone really needs to…" Elena let her aunt ramble on, and looked past her to Jeremy. So much between them was unresolved, and she saw in his eyes that he didn't know what he would've done if she had died before getting past their falling-out. She bit her lip, gazing up at him anxiously.

"I'm sorry, sis," He whispered quietly, looking at the floor but eventually raising his eyes up to meet hers. "Forgive me?"

"Of course, Jer. You're my brother. I love you." As she spoke the words, she felt the heavy weight pressing over her heart lift, and she sighed with relief. He nodded at her, and Elena's eyes drifted over to Damon, who was silently making an exit. _I love you, _she mouthed soundlessly, knowing he understood what she was trying to say. Gazing at her with soulful eyes, he mouthed back, _I love you too. _

…

Damon stepped back down into the lowest level of the deserted house once again, trying desperately to push away the memories that the dank basement held there for him. He wasn't entirely surprised to find his brother still there, sitting with a defeated air about five feet away from Katherine's corpse. Damon opened his mouth to spew a sarcastic remark, but closed it again when he saw the look on his brother's face.

"I'm sorry," Stefan murmured, mostly to the scratchy concrete beneath him. "I realize the trouble I've caused. I'll never forget it." He cast his eyes imploringly up to Damon. "But did you have to stake her? Did you have to take her away from me again, this time for good?" A pause fell between them before Damon responded.

"It was the only way to keep Elena safe. It was completely necessary." He let out a deep breath. "And I think we both know she was never really implicitly yours. Katherine never belonged to anyone besides herself." Stefan looked back down, frowning.

"That doesn't make it hurt any less." Damon just stood there, a peculiar feeling stealing over him as he looked on. _Could this be…remorse? _Damon realized, astounded at his recently rediscovered range of emotions.

"I'm going to take care of her," Stefan murmured, suddenly rising to his feet and gently scooping up Katherine's body in his arms. He walked up the stairs at human speed, and once he disappeared, Damon followed him in a delayed reaction. He found the front door ajar and quickly stepped out over the threshold behind his brother. Stefan slowly crossed the yard to a sunny patch, and taking a deep breath, he stepped into it. Katherine's body rapidly disintegrated, the ashes sifting through Stefan's hands in a matter of seconds. His arms falling limply at his sides, he turned to face his brother once more. Damon noticed with a twinge of sadness that his brother's eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"I won't be coming back," Stefan whispered, staring sorrowfully into his brother's eyes.

Damon's eyebrows drew together, and he nodded solemnly. "Goodbye, Stefan." When Damon looked back up, his brother was gone. Bowing his head, Damon slowly turned on his heel, appeasing the pull that was drawing him back to the only girl in the universe that mattered.

…

**So sorry this wasn't longer! I'm exhausted and this is all I could crank out at the moment. Hope it was enough for now! I should be wrapping this up in a chapter or two. It's been a brilliant ride, especially considering this is my first story. Ever. Thank you SO MUCH for reading. Please leave a review! They mean the world to me and encourage me to press forward. Ideas for my new story are flying through my head! It will hopefully start getting posted as soon as I finish this one. Once again, thank you all so much! I can't put into words how grateful I am for you readers, especially those who review regularly. You're all amazing! Til next chapter. In the words of one of my favorite FanFic writers, Feedback is love people. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello, all of you amazing people out there who take the time to read my daydreams :) I'm so so sorry it took me forever to post this chapter, but my schedule is getting so tight I really only have time and energy to write on weekends nowadays. On that note, I'm sad to announce that this is the last chapter of Reading Between the Lines. I wanted to make it to twenty chapters, but I feel it's appropriate to stop here. I'm sad to stop writing it. This was my first published story and it was lovely to write. But not nearly as lovely as reading all of your wonderful reviews! Now that this story is coming to a close, I'll be free to start my new story. I should have the first chapter out next weekend. Its title is "Just Once" so if you think you can stick with me a second longer, please be on the lookout for it if you have time. Oh, I nearly forgot! Did you guys see the trailer that just came out for Season 2? Oh. My freakin. God. I watched it around 10 times over when I first noticed it. It looks thrilling, and I was happy to see a little more of Elena in it, considering how I love Elena so much more than any other of the remaining female characters. There was entirely too much Katherine messing with our boy for my taste, but still very exciting. Less than 3 weeks away from the premiere! Oh my, this author's note has gotten far too long. I'll shut up now and let you get down to it. Once again, thank you so much for all of the incredible support, I love you all! Enjoy. **

**Chapter 18: Wherever You Are Is Home**

Previously: 

_ …Elena's eyes rolled and flickered open to a darkened hospital room, completely silent save the heart monitor. She was going to be ok, and Damon was right there by her side. That was all that mattered._

_ …"You know, I'll never be able to thank you enough for everything you've done…for me."_

_ Damon's face twisted, and he inclined his head toward her. "You don't ever need to thank me for anything, Elena."_

_ …. Stefan slowly crossed the yard to a sunny patch, and taking a deep breath, he stepped into it. Katherine's body rapidly disintegrated, the ashes sifting through Stefan's hands in a matter of seconds. His arms falling limply at his sides, he turned to face his brother once more. Damon noticed with a twinge of sadness that his brother's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. _

_ "I won't be coming back," Stefan whispered, staring sorrowfully into his brother's eyes. _

_ Damon's eyebrows drew together, and he nodded solemnly. "Goodbye, Stefan." When Damon looked back up, his brother was gone. Bowing his head, Damon slowly turned on his heel, appeasing the pull that was drawing him back to the only girl in the universe that mattered. _

…

Elena awoke from her thirteenth day in the hospital to a sweet scent wafting through the room. Casting a glance at her bedside table, she saw a big bouquet of deep red roses tied with a black ribbon laying at the edge near her pillow. Her mouth twisting into a tiny smile, she picked up the flowers and counted the blooms: eighteen roses. Something white caught the corner of her eye, and she turned her gaze back to the table. As the paper rested in neglect on the cheap faux wood of the table top, Elena suddenly was stricken with a thought. _Eighteen…there's something special about the particular number. _Elena reached for the folded note and lifted it near her face, reading the short message inside written in Damon's loopy and sightly haphazard script: _Happy Birthday, sweet cheeks. _She cracked a huge grin in spite of herself. Damon remembered her birthday, even when she herself hadn't. Her hand absentmindedly drifted up to her collarbone, fingering her necklace and watching the crystals catch in the light. _Damon. _He had spent nearly every waking moment with her while she was in the hospital, leaving only to feed and check up on the boarding house. His companionship had made everything a little more bearable. When she was well enough, he had told her about Katherine and Stefan, and she felt overwhelmingly relieved. Damon, she was happy to note, seemed unfazed by the death of Katherine, even at his own hands. She could tell he was saddened by what had happened with Stefan, but at the same time she knew he didn't want his brother to stay. Elena was grateful that she had finally been unhooked from all of the cumbersome machines, and she slid off the bed and walked over to the window. Damon had brought her some of her own pajamas, so she didn't have to worry about gaping hospital gowns. She pulled on the blinds, allowing the morning sunlight to stream in and flood her room.

"Well look who's finally legal," A low voice teased from behind her. Elena's heart skipped a beat and she whirled, her heart pounding with equal parts surprise and joy.

_"Damon!" _Elena admonished in an annoyed voice, but still nearly ran across the room to him. He walked to meet her halfway, and she slapped his chest before falling into it and wrapping her arms around him in a kiss. He returned it eagerly, snaking an arm around her and bending her back slightly, taking control of the situation. Only when she started gasping for air did he pull back, and only a few inches at that.

"Happy birthday," he whispered, his lips twisting into a crooked grin.

"Thanks for remembering." She gave him a quick peck, then sighed. "They're letting me come home today." Damon drew her upright, then sat down in an armchair and pulled her into his lap.

"Oh, thank god. Spending all day surrounded by blood that I can't drink is not exactly an ideal situation for me." Damon rolled his eyes.

"You didn't have to stay here every day you, know," Elena reminded him.

"I know. But you were here." Elena's heart twinged at the comment. Damon cleared his throat. "So. I have a proposition."

Elena raised her eyebrows. "Do share." Damon took her wrists into his strong hands and leaned in, languidly kissing her cheek. His lips not retreating, he whispered against her skin.

"Move in with me." Elena's eyes lit up, and she turned to face him. His blue eyes were smoldering, making them even more beautiful. Breathing in his air, she bit back a smile.

"I thought I already had." Damon's eyes seemed to burn even hotter, and without warning his lips were suddenly over hers, caressing and possessing the only thing that mattered to him. Elena let the kiss deepen and go on for what felt like forever, but at the same time not nearly long enough. Finally she broke it, resting her forehead against his. "Jenna's not going to like this."

"Probably not," Damon said lightly, frankly not giving a damn what anyone thought of it.

"Oh well. I love her, but I'm 18 now, and I'm free to make my own choices. And I choose you." Damon grinned, relaxing. Elena's eyes fell to his lips, smiling at his smile. _A_ _heartbreaker's smile_, she noted, thinking that it was just about the most breathtaking one she had ever seen.

"I'll go start moving your things over to the boarding house now," he said, carrying her back over to the bed.

"That's probably best. I don't think you should be here when I tell Jenna the news. No telling what she might try if you were."

"As if anything she can do would hurt me. That is, unless, her weapon of choice is something wooden." Elena rolled her eyes, ushering him out the door.

"See you later," she said exasperatedly, and he smirked devilishly with a nod before ambling down the white hallway, his black clothing a stark contrast to his surroundings.

…

"You're doing WHAT?" Jenna screeched, her expression livid. Elena cringed, bowing her head, but she wasn't going to back down.

"You heard me. And I'm not going to change my mind. I'm sorry, Aunt Jenna, but I'm 18 now, and this is what I want to do."

Jenna crossed her arms. "You've been 18 for _a few hours_ and you're saying you want to move in with _Damon? _I could tell things were getting a little odd, but _this? _You said yourself how much of an ass he was!"

Elena bit her lip. "I was wrong. He seems like one, but Damon's not who we thought he was at all." There was a pause. "I love him."

Jenna's eyebrows shot up. _"You love him! _What about Stefan, Elena? Where does he stand in all of this? What does he think?"

Elena grimaced, closing her eyes for a beat. "Stefan left me. He went back with his ex and then skipped town. He won't come back."

Her aunt fell silent. For a moment, they both just looked at each other. The only noise in the room was the whirring air conditioning and the sound of Elena's birthday balloons bouncing along the ceiling.

"I'm sorry, Elena. I didn't realize." Jenna's tone softened a little.

"It doesn't matter. Damon was there for me. He and I…we have something. More than I ever had with Stefan. And I know he won't hurt me."

"I'm still not too fond of this, Elena, but if it makes you happy…I can't stop you."

Elena rushed across the room and threw Jenna into a hug. "Thank you thank you thank you! I promise I'll be careful, you won't ever need to worry about me!"

"If you say so, kiddo. Just promise you'll stop by and see your old maid of an aunt every once in a while, will you?" Jenna chuckled humorlessly, hugging Elena back.

"Of course I will! I wouldn't forget you and Jer for the world. And you're _so _not an old maid."

"Thanks, baby. I love you."

"Love you too," Elena murmured into her aunt's hair.

…

Elena walked out of the hospital clinging to Damon's arm. As soon as her feet hit the pavement outside, she tilted her head back and laughed, breathing in the fresh air and letting the sunlight permeate her skin. Damon glanced at her and smiled, thinking back to a bittersweet memory of when Elena had done the same thing, riding in his convertible and enjoying a carefree moment with him while Stefan was chained up in the cellar.

"God, I missed this." She dropped her duffel bag, spinning once and kissing Damon on the cheek, her eyes dancing.

Damon raised his eyebrows. "Keep up the giddy and I wouldn't be surprised if you started skipping down the street and kissing strangers right now," he said dryly, actually enjoying how happy she was right now. He was tired of broodiness. He'd had enough from his brother to last him a lifetime.

Elena laughed again. "Why kiss a stranger when I have you?" She leaned in and kissed his jaw, and he felt her smiling against his skin. _Jesus, she smelled good. _

"You're sexy when you're in a good mood. I like it." Damon's eyes flashed in their trademark style. "Now stay here like a good little girl while I pull the car around." He patted her cheek with infuriating smugness and moseyed off toward the parking lot.

Elena beamed when she saw Damon drive up with the top down on his old blue camaro. Dumping her bag in the back, she climbed into the passenger seat. She took care to close the door carefully, giving Damon a pointed look.

"Thanks," Damon smirked at how she remembered what he'd said about respecting his car last time. He pulled out onto the street, cranking up the radio. Elena turned to look at him, her hair whipping out behind her as the car flew down the pavement.

"I love this song!"

Damon grinned at her for a moment. "So do I," he finally replied, turning it up even louder.

_You sit there in your heartache_

_ Waiting on some beautiful boy to_

_ Save you from your own ways_

_ You play forgiveness_

_ Watch him now, here he comes_

_ He doesn't look a thing like Jesus_

_ But he talks like a gentleman_

_ Like you imagined when you_

_ Were young_

_ Can we climb this mountain? _

_ I don't know_

_ Higher now than ever before I_

_ Know we can make it if we take it slow_

_ Let's take it easy, easy now, watch it go_

_ We're burning down the highway skyline_

_ On the back of a hurricane that started turning when you_

_ Were young_

_ When you were young_

The soaring electric guitar cut loose, playing a euphoric solo that seemed to be written just for the afternoon sun that was setting before them. They drove continually toward the sinking star, yet never got any closer to it. Damon glanced over at Elena, only to find her staring at him with love burning in her eyes, her hair streaming behind her like fire. He would've called it déjà vu, but this time felt different. He could see the light at the end of the tunnel, and he knew that if he never reached it, it wouldn't matter, because Elena would still be there, never letting him go.

…

Elena stepped over the threshold of the boarding house, dropping her bag by the door. Damon closed it behind them, stepping near her into the light of the foyer. He spread an arm wide, the other hand resting against the small of her back.

"Welcome home," he whispered. Elena turned her face toward his, and saw the last rays of sunlight catch in his eyes, turning them the gorgeous iridescent blue that she loved more than anything. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her cheek against his chest. She was enveloped in his warm, intoxicating scent, and she let her eyes close. Damon's words resonated in her heart, and she had never felt such absolute truth. She was home, she was with Damon. There was no difference in the two statements. They were one and the same. Wherever Damon was, _was _her home, and she realized at that moment that her home was forever. It would never die. Elena knew, with absolute certainty, that she as well would be forever, always entwining her immortality with his. The revelation came as no shock to her, but instead felt as if that certainty had always resided deep inside her heart. Her soul warm and completely untroubled, she breathed in his scent and turned her chin upward, locking her eyes with the flickering blue of his.

"Happy to be here."

_Finis_

…

**Just Once Preview**

_Here are a couple of tiny snippets from my upcoming story._

Elena thought back to what Damon had said about Stefan and Katherine when she had first met him: "It nearly destroyed him." _Not nearly as much as it destroyed you, _she thought morosely to herself, glancing out into the night in hope of seeing Damon's old blue chevy. She just hoped she could put him back together, before it was too late.

…

"Why did you come here? To me," Damon asked quietly, his eyes downcast to his empty shot glass. Elena cast a sorrowful glance in his direction.

"You just seemed like…a pretty lost person right now."

"Takes one to know one," Damon said as he looked up, his head tilted to the side and eyes squinted into a gaze muddled with pain and loss, regret and heartbreak. His broken eyes pierced through her heart, bothering her far more than the truth in his words.


End file.
